New Media and the Election

With the election around the corner - I thought I'd try to find some good places to get information - here is what I came up with - I'm sure there are tons more - but it's a start.

Election Information – start with Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Canada

Here you will find annotated links to literally hundreds of sites on the Internet that can help you with your research on Canadian politics and government.
http://polisci.nelson.com/canpol.html

Politics Watch - http://www.politicswatch.com/index2.html

Contact your government - http://www.canada.gc.ca/directories-repertoires/direct-eng.html

Collections Canada: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/caninfo/ep032.htm

Journalism.net http://www.journalismnet.com/canada/politics.htm

Canadian Encyclopedia: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=HomePage&Params=A1

The CBC - http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/

Globe and Mail Politics: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics (interactive - follow the leaders map – excellent articles on New Media and Politics.

Want to know about Politics and blogging – you could start here – Canada’s top 25 political blogs – based on Google Page Rank + Alexa Rank and some other rules.
http://rjjago.wordpress.com/canadas-top-25-blogs/

Langley Politics - http://langleypolitics.com/

How’d they vote - http://www.howdtheyvote.ca/ Ever wondered how your member of parliament has been voting? This site makes it easy for you to find out!

http://www.mynameiskate.ca/2008/09/canadian-politi.html - excellent blog entry on which political parties are using what New Media such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, etc.

http://www.mynameiskate.ca/social-media-canada-politics.html - excellent blog listing of who is using what social media tools.

Check out YouTube’s selection of political videos.

Plug political videos

http://www.elections.ca/content.asp?section=med&document=index&dir=video&lang=e&textonly=false

Elections Canada has produced video footage showing various aspects of the agency's preparations for a federal election or by-election.

http://www.elections.ca/home.asp?textonly=false

The Voter Information Service provides information on your electoral district and member of Parliament. Select one of the options below to find your electoral district.

http://www.elections.ca/scripts/pss/FindED.aspx?L=e

Canadian Politics – Wiki
http://canadian-politics.com/CPWiki/tiki-index.php

Exciting New Mobile Technologies

The world is getting mapped - for your mobile - and a great Vancouver company called cellmap is helping to lead the charge.

http://www.cellmap.ca/

They map out areas with details of pretty much everything from restaurants, nightclubs, and hotspots to the best views, special event times and bus schedules.
They've mapped out Vancouver's Stanley Park, Granville Island, and even Whistler Village. They basically turn your cell phone into a custom interactive map.
Once somebody downloads a particular CellMap to their phone - it can be used without a signal, and they can use it without worrying about data charges.
They recently won a PopVox Award for best Mobile Application.

Tagga is another neat Vancouver company. Tagga lets anyone create a text message campaign for, basically, anything. You could be on a website and want to send recipe information - using Tagga - you can send it from you website to you mobile with one click. If you're selling a house - you could set it up with a tag and a number - and when people tag the word "house" to 42233 - they'd get all the relevant information. There are lots of things you can use it for. check out tagga.com

Mobile muse is one of the sponsors of Open Mobile at this year's New Forms Festival. The mobile technology leaders come together with artists to show their latest and greatest creations. If you want tosee what's coming down the mobile pipe - this is the place to be - it's Sunday, September 21 at Emily Carr on Granville Island. Check out the new forms festival website - as always - they've got some amazing shows all month. http://2008.newformsfestival.com

If you're interesting in meeting up with other New Media folk - there's a Vancouver group called Third Tuesday of the Month that has great guest speakers and really keeps up with what's happening in social media, the blog world and in the digital landscape.

Creating your own ringtone for the iPhone
- For those who thought they had to purchase their ringtune using iTunes Store, here's another solution
1) Choose a song that you want to use for your ringtone
2) Now using audio editing software such as Quicktime or Audacity, edit the sound clip down to 40 seconds or less (preferably less than 40 sec). Anything more than 40 seconds will be undetected as a ringtone on your iPhone.
3) Once you've got the section of song edited down to 40 sec or less, save it as a mp3 or m4v (ipod) file. For Quicktime users, choose File>Export and pick the Movie to iPod export option.
4) Locate the saved file and rename the extension of the file from .m4v or .mp3 to .m4r and save
5) Now drag and drop the newly renamed file into iTunes to import it into your music library. The file should show up under the ringtone tab in iTunes. If it doesn't, go back and check that the music is less than 40 seconds and that you've renamed the extention to .m4r
6) Connect your iPhone to your iTunes, then drag and drop the ringtone file from your iTunes into the iPhone. At this point all you need to do is go to Settings>Sounds>Ringtone on your iPhone to set the ringtone you just created and do a little dance everytime someone calls you.

Back to School - Learning Online

It's all about back to school today,

E-readers - Kindle, Sony Reader, and more. Students - in the very near future you won't have to lug around heavy textbooks - everything will be in one convenient portable location.
E-readers have also become extremely popular for avid newspaper readers too. Your E-reader can hold every newspaper you could ever want to read, which is a good thing - because traditional newspapers are hurting. In fact, The New York Times reported that 2008 has been the worst Year ever for newspapers ad revenue raising "serious questions about the survival of some papers and the solvency of their parent companies." At least with the E-readers - they may be able to save some of their readership base. People want to be mobile - and, e-newspaper don't use up any trees.

Speaking of books and Back-to-School, I want to share a few websites for the inquisitive mind.

Project Gutenberg - Free eBook collection
http://www.gutenberg.org

- Project Gutenberg is the first and largest single collection of free electronic books, or eBooks. Currently the collection is over 25,000 free listed eBooks.
- The founder of Project Gutenberg (Michael Hart) also invented the first eBook back in 1971. Project Gutenberg was created to encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks.
- when users go to the website, they can search for eBooks using author name, book title, or subject. Likewise, users can browse the whole eBook collection or take suggestions by looking through the Top 100 Downloaded eBooks list.
- all eBooks come in html and text format, allowing any computer on any operating system the ability to view them.
- the project is simple, straightforward and free! So check it out - they have everything from classical Shakespeare to surgery manuals to books on sex.

MIT's OpenCourseWare - Free online courses
http://ocw.mit.edu

- OpenCourseWare is a web-based publication of virtually all MIT course content. The site is open and available to the whole world and is a permanent, on-going MIT initiative.
- All materials offered through this publication is free and reflects almost all the undergraduate and graduate subjects taught at MIT. Sadly, studying through OpenCourseWare will not get you a diploma from MIT.
- one of the greatest aspects to OpenCourseWare - besides getting course materials for free - is its audio/video library. Many class lectures found on the site have accompanying videotaped talks or class sessions.
- course assignments and exams are also available, but who really wants to do that?!
- overall, MIT's OpenCourseWare is one of the most extensive online educational portals the Internet has to offer

Encyclopedia of Life - Free online encyclopedia
http://www.eol.org

- Now I might have already talked about this website in the past, but Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) is an ambitious project worth mentioning again. Comprised of scientists, field experts, and volunteers working from museums and research institutions around the world, the goal of EOL is to organize and make available - via the Internet - virtually all known information about life on Earth.
- Here's how EOL works: At its heart lies a series of websites—one for each of the approximately 1.8 million known species—that provides the entry points to a vast array of knowledge. Each entry-point is a species page designed for the general public. Once you're in a species page - let's say peregrine falcon - you'll have a list of facts about the creature including animal family, geographic distribution, evolutionary history, so on so forth. At the bottom of the page you'll also notice several links aimed for expert users.
- Remember, EOL is a huge, ambitious project so the website is still a large work in progress. Every day, more and more data is entered into EOL's database in the quest to share all information about life on Earth.

Lastly I want to talk about TED - which stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design.
http://www.ted.com

- This is a fantastic series of video lectures from the World's greatest minds. You'll get a front row seat to watch and listen to some of the most fascinating people on the planet. The speakers come from all walks of life such as Al Gore - talking about the environment, to TV producer JJ Abrams - of the show Lost, to Stephen Hawkins - the world's smartest man alive. This website is definitely worth checking out.

Thanks to the Internet - You don't need to be in school to continue learning.

Great New Applications

cuil.com
spacetime.com
addons.mozilla.org
cooliris.com
etsy.com

Let's talk about the Web - first, let's talk about My Favorite Google Web Browser Apps - addons.mozialla.org

Take some time here and look around there are some amazing applications - all of them free.

Spacetime. com is also worth a look.

There's also another search engine in town. Spelled C-u-i-l - but pronounced "Cool" - is the new search engine from former Google players. It calls itself the world's biggest search engine. Does it have a fighting chance against Google? It's going to be tough, but don't count it out. Remember, Google didn't even exist not too many years ago.

Cuil claims to search more pages on the Web than anyone else—three times as many as Google and ten times as many as Microsoft.

Cuil searches for and ranks pages based on their content and relevance. When they find a page with your keywords, they stay on that page and analyze the rest of its content, its concepts, their inter-relationships and the page’s coherency.

Cuil does offer you helpful choices and suggestions until you find the page you want. Cuil also tries to separate itself from Google by saying that they don't collect data on their users or their searches. With Cuil, your search history is always private. I also like the fact that your searches come up with thumbnail pictures next to them.

Check out cooliris.com (Great Photo App)

Another great site I'd like to mention is ETSY E-T-S-Y - it's basically, like a giant Ebay for artists who make their own stuff - and you can even search by region - so if you want to find some artists in your own area - you can. There are some beautiful and unique items for anyone's budget. I was looking at Vancouver Artists Tanis Alexis - she makes eco-prints of her artwork.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_3&listing_id=8542467 -- This one is Called 'What Place is This' What makes this print eco-friendly? They're Printed in Canada, there's no waste print technology, no chemical inks and all images printed on FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified papers. What makes this eco-friendly print even more green is that the original piece of art was created on a salvaged/reclaimed piece of maple.

Etsy.com has great stuff for everyone - everything from hand-made gloves to furniture to artwork.

Thank you to Sarah for the email about backing up your files. So - backing up your files for PC and Mac – Do you need an External Hard Drive? Well, external hard drives are so cheap - you'd be crazy not to back up all your files. It's crazy - you can get a Terabyte for under 300 - that is an incredible amount of space.

Again, thanks for your feedback.

Keep clicking and stay connected.

Internet Security

Today, I’d like to talk to you about online security.

Online deception, identity theft, dialer rip-off or contaminated websites are real problems. According to a report released by Kingsoft, in the first half of 2008, the company intercepted 1.24 million new computer viruses and trojans.

This number increase by 338% compared with the total number in 2007 and it is more than the total virus number of the recent five years. Still, it’s estimated that at least 10 percent of Internet users do not use any virus protection. Identity theft continues to be a major problem and there are some easy steps you can take to protect yourself.

First, let’s talk about establishing a firewall to protect your data –
You can purchase a really great piece of hardware from a local company called Alphashield.com - that plugs right into your computer and acts like a shield.

Second, you can install free firewall software programs – a couple of my favorites are avast antivirus - http://www.avast.com/

And Avira - http://free-av.com/

Tips to Protect Yourself From Online Identity Theft

1. Beware of email requesting personal information. Don't reply to or click on a link in an unsolicited email that asks for your credit card, banking account information, passwords or PINs, social security number, or other types of confidential information, even if it looks like the email comes from a financial institution. When in doubt, log onto the main Web site of your credit card, bank or brokerage firm at the normal Web address you use or call your firm using a telephone number that you know or one from a previous account statement to inquire about whether the request for information is legitimate.

2. If you think a Web site is not legitimate, leave it immediately. Legitimate firms typically offer customers a number of ways to contact them.

3. Keep your personal and financial information secure online. Here are a few simple steps that you can take to make your information more secure when you go online.

* Keep your computer system up to date with the latest security patches.

* Use anti-virus and spyware detection software and be sure to update this software regularly, as new viruses and Trojan Horse programs appear frequently.

* Use personal firewall software. Firewall software should thwart intruders from getting access to your PC over a network.

* Never download software or files from an unknown source.

* Change your passwords on a regular basis. Never send your password to anyone in an email. Try not to write down your password, but if you must, put it in a safe place.

* Avoid emailing personal or financial information.

* Read your firm's policies on online security. Review other tips and security instructions that may be offered to better protect your access.

* Before submitting personal or financial information through a Web site, look for the locked padlock image on your browser's status bar or look for "https://" [note the "s"] at the beginning of the Internet address. While a padlock image and "https://" does not mean that the Web site is authentic or secure, the absence of either the padlock or the https:// does mean that the site is not secure.

* Log off of any secure legitimate Web site after completing a transaction.

* Be careful when using Internet kiosks or other people's computers. Since you don't know what security precautions have been taken, you may be putting your confidential information at risk.

4. Order a copy of your credit report. It is a good idea to check your credit report every year. To guard against identity theft, look for accounts you did not open and any unexplained transactions. You can obtain a copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus, but you may have to pay for them.

Equifax (www.equifax.com ) and (www.transunion.com) are two examples.

5. Review your monthly bills. This is your last line of defense. If you are victimized, the sooner you catch it, the better. Regularly review your online account information for unauthorized trades, cash withdrawals, or any other unrecognized activity; do the same as soon as you receive each monthly or quarterly statement.

If you have moved, make sure to update your postal address with all of the firms where you have accounts. If you receive your statements by email and change your Internet service provider or otherwise change your preferred email address, make sure to update your email address with all of the firms where you have accounts. Immediately report any suspicious activity to your brokerage firm.

6. Act quickly if you believe you've been scammed. If you believe that you're a victim of one of these scams, you need to act quickly. For example, you may only have 60 days to report a loss or theft of funds through an electronic funds transfer to limit your liability.

Always contact the authorities.

Going Electric...and Going to the Movies...

If Gas prices are too high…go electric – the government will even help.

Today's cars are inefficient. Of the energy in fuel they consume, at least 80% is lost - we have to think of different ways to travel (stats from http://www.best.bc.ca/ - visit this site for more information). Old cars are the worst. The “Scrap-It Program” is working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality by getting older vehicles off the road.

The Program offers qualifying vehicle owners incentives to scrap their older vehicle, basically any working car or light-duty truck from 1995 or older that’s been insured in BC for the last 12 months. The incentive values are based on the greenhouse gas reduction that occurs when an old vehicle is scrapped and an incentive is used as a replacement. Incentives valued at $2,000 or more are offered for the incentives with the highest greenhouse benefit.

These incentives include very low emission vehicles, transit passes, or the transit pass / bicycle combination. If you are buying a new vehicle, the incentive value depends on the vehicle being scrapped and the replacement vehicle. It is expected the program will “scrap” between 10,000-20,000 older vehicles over the next three years. If an average of three tonnes a year of CO₂ is secured from 15,000 “scrapped” vehicles for a three-year remaining life, it would reduce CO₂ emissions in B.C. by an estimated 135,000 tonnes.

On another note, the average car makes 2000 trips of 3 kilometres or less a year. Over 1/3 of work trips in the GVRD are less than 5 kilometres. Many of these trips could easily be replaces by walking or cycling. Let me share with you my preferred transportation vehicle: the e-bike.

Check out scrapit.ca to find out which incentive value you qualify for. And a simple Internet search for electric bikes in BC will help you find out more on e-bike.

If it’s too hot outside – go to the movies

Have you ever wished you could direct your own movie? Well, the LATE FRAGMENT DVD, the first interactive film in North America, gets you pretty darn close – it also so happens to be a Canadian film.

The film’s multi-plot, non-linear and interactive narrative lets audiences discover the stories themselves. The DVD leaves the audience to piece together the narrative, allowing for a unique cinematic experience that lets the viewer “play” a creative and interactive role by weaving in and out of the film’s story lines with just the click of a remote, offering a new perspective on the story each time.

The DVD of “Late Fragment” was officially released on July 8th, and to celebrate Mongrel Media is throwing a party in Vancouver to bring some real-life interaction into the mix. I found out about this through a great group called FirstWeekendClub – basically, it’s a group that goes out on the first weekend to support Canadian films.

Check out FirstWeekendClub.ca for more information. They’ve got a great website with lots of information on Canadian Film coming up this summer, premier launch parties, and interviews with Canadian stars. It doesn’t cost anything to join – you just go to the movies.

Currently, less than 3% of films shown in theatres throughout Canada are Canadian. FirstWeekendClub wants to change that. There is a party to celebrate the interactive DVD release in Vancouver on July 17 – For more information about any of this just go to our blog and you can get all the times, dates, and websites. http://media2o.com/blogs

Steps to Cleaning your Computer

Steps to cleaning your computer

from (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/expert/northrup_restoreperf.mspx)

The Basics


Step 1: Back Up Your Hard Drive

Back up your computer files before you run any system tools or do any troubleshooting. This is not an over-cautious warning, it's just good computing practice. Some of the steps recommended in this guide can cause pre-existing but hidden problems to surface, which may stop your computer from starting. Backing up your computer files can be as simple as copy and paste, or you can run Windows XP and Vista's Backup and Restore tool, which will assist you in the backup process.

To open the Backup or Restore Wizard
Click Start, point to All Programs
Point to Accessories, then point to System Tools
Click Backup.

A Backup/Restore wizard will pop up and guide you through the rest



Before making any changes, time your computer to see how long it takes to restart. That way you know which of the changes helps the most and you could perform these


Step 2: Clear Out Forgotten/Unused Programs

Now that you have your computer backed up, the first step in tuning up your computer's performance is to remove any unnecessary programs. I install new programs all the time. Sometimes I'm thrilled with the new program and I continue to use it. Other times, it doesn't do what I hoped, and the program sits on my computer consuming resources and slowing down its performance.

Follow these steps to remove unneeded programs:

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

2. Click Add or Remove Programs.

3. Scroll through the list and examine each program. Windows XP lists how often you use a program and what day you last started it. You shouldn't remove anything labeled as an Update or Hotfix, however, because they improve the security of your computer.

4. Click each program you no longer need, click the Remove button, and then follow the prompts to uninstall it.

You may have to restart your computer after removing a program. After your computer restarts, repeat the steps above to remove more programs.



Free Up Wasted Space

Removing unused programs is a great way to free up disk space, which will speed up your computer. Another way to find wasted disk space is to use the Disk Cleanup tool by following these steps:

1. Click Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Click Disc Cleanup

2. Disk Cleanup will spend a few minutes examining your disk.

3. Select the desired check boxes in the Files to Delete list, and then click OK. Disk Cleanup will spend several minutes clearing space.

4. If you have more than one hard disk, repeat this process for each hard disk listed in My Computer. You can save yourself some time by automating the disk cleanup process.


Defragment Your Computer

I hate newspaper articles that start on the front page but continue somewhere in the middle of the newspaper. I could get through the article much faster if it was printed on consecutive pages like a magazine article. Files on your computer can either be fragmented like a newspaper, or unfragmented like a magazine. Over time, more and more files become fragmented. When a file is fragmented, it takes longer for the computer to read it because it has to skip to different sections of the hard disk—just like it takes me a few seconds to find a page in the middle of a newspaper.

You need administrator privileges to defragment a drive or volume. Although fragmentation is complicated, it's easy to defragment your computer by following these steps:

1. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter.

2. Click your first hard disk, and then click Defragment. Disk Defragmenter will work for at least several minutes, though it may take several hours.

3. If you have more than one hard disk, repeat this process for each hard disk listed.



Scan for and remove malicious programs
It is important that you use up-to-date security software to detect and remove malicious programs. Virus programs can slow down your PC and cause unwanted behaviour, even damage to your data. Since most computers today are using broadband, we're always connected online and this makes our computer more susceptible to a spyware infection. Spyware tracks your movements on the Web for advertising purposes, but can affect your PC's performance as well.

Free spyware removal program (Hitman Pro http://www.hitmanpro.nl/hitmanpro/content/view/3/9/lang,en/ )




Additional Options (for the more advanced users)


Disconnect Unused Network Connections

If you've ever had a network with more than one computer, you probably found it useful to share files between the computers by mapping a network drive. Network drives allow one computer to read and write files to another computer's hard disk as if it were directly connected. I use network drives all the time, and for me, they were the most significant source of slowness.

The problem with network drives is that Windows XP will attempt to connect to the network drives when Windows starts. If the remote computers don't respond immediately, Windows will wait patiently. Additionally, some programs will attempt to connect to the network drives when you browse for files and folders. If you've ever tried to open a file and had to wait several seconds (or minutes!), it's probably because the program was trying to establish a network connection—even if the file you are opening is on your local computer.

I am not as patient as Windows, and I'd rather not wait for unused network connections to respond. To reduce this problem, disconnect any unused drives by following these steps:

1. Open My Computer.

2. On the Tools menu, click Disconnect Network Drive.

3. Select the network drives that you no longer need, and then click OK.

After I disconnected the network drives on my computer, my computer was able to restart in 1 minute, 45 seconds—about 40% faster!



Remove Autostart Programs

The next step in restoring your computer's performance is to identify any unnecessary programs that start automatically. Often, programs configure themselves to run in the background so that they appear to start quickly when needed. Some of these programs show an icon on your taskbar to let you know that they're running, while others are completely hidden. These autostart programs probably won't noticeably slow down your computer as it starts up, but they will steal away trace amounts of memory and processing time as your computer runs.

Windows XP comes with the System Configuration tool (Msconfig.exe), an excellent way to manage the startup process. To start it:

1. Click Start, click Run, type Msconfig, and then press Enter.

2. On the Startup tab, you'll see a list of all the programs and processes that are set to run when Windows XP loads.

3. Speed up your overall start time by clearing the check box next to any item you think you don't need.

4. Click Apply, and then restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

My favorite way to examine autostart programs is to use the Autoruns freeware tool from Sysinternals. Autoruns lists every program that will automatically start and allows you to quickly delete the link to the program. Many autostart entries are important parts of Windows XP, including Userinit.exe and Explorer.exe. So you should not simply delete everything that you don't recognize. Instead, you should look up each entry at Paul Collins' Startup Applications List to determine whether you want it to start automatically.


The Startup Applications List may provide instructions for removing the startup program. If available, you should follow those instructions instead of deleting the link by using Autoruns.




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Hey Folks, here's a nice article by Rachel Naud where Bradley is quoted about Point-and-Shoot cameras.

Point-and-shoots advance to pro levels

Rachel Naud , Canwest News Service

Point-and-shoot cameras have always been notable for their ease of use. But today's best digital models are taking simplicity a step further and doing virtually all the work and thinking that goes into taking a great photo for us.

Using features such as face recognition, smile detection and scene intelligence, capturing the perfect image could really be just a click away.

"One of the things I've always hated about point-and-shoot digital cameras when they first came out is that by the time the camera actually shot the picture, it would be a picture of the place my son once was - a shot of his foot. It wasn't the shot I actually wanted," says Bradley Shende, executive producer with Chalk TV and host of the show Connected Life.

The Nikon Coolpix S52C.

"Fortunately, technology has caught up with most cameras."

In fact, with ISO levels on point-and-shoots rising past 1,000, more models allow you to take multiple pictures with one click, allowing the user to scroll through and choose the best image.

"Basically, it gives you a contact sheet to choose what you want and dispose of the rest," says Shende. "It takes the pictures really close together."

Point-and-shoots, also known as compact cameras, have been adding features for years. In addition to such familiar items as autofocus and built-in flash, one of today's popular features is face detection. This allows the camera to find the face in the frame, analyze it and adjust for colour, temperature and lighting.

The facial area-analysis is based on such characteristics as flesh tone and exposure, and the background is treated differently to optimize focus on the face.

"It's the type of thing a professional photographer would consider in lighting a scene, but now what's amazing is the camera's processors are actually doing this for us," says Shende.

Angelo Daga, senior merchandising manager for Future Shop, says smile detection on advanced point-and-shoots is especially helpful when taking pictures of small children who are sometimes unwilling to smile for the camera.

"Once they smile, the camera will automatically snap the photo," says Daga.

And whether you're taking a photo of family or a nature shot, the Intelligent Scene Selector mode found in some of today's cameras will ensure you get a professional-looking picture by automatically sensing the conditions you're in.

"It judges what the appropriate setting of the camera should be," says Daga. "So, if you're taking a picture of a person, the camera will optimize skin tones and focus on the face. But if you're taking a picture of something up close, such as a flower or an insect, the macro mode will help improve that shot."

Daga says point-and-shoot cameras can range anywhere from $99 to $450, depending on how many features the camera includes.

Asked to identify some of the most popular cameras on the market, Daga says the Sony Cybershot T300 is popular with customers. It's not only stylish - it comes in black, silver and pink - but boasts a large 3.5-inch LCD screen and a touch panel that makes feature and menu selection easy.

The Panasonic TZ5 is another popular option, he says. The camera features nine megapixels, 10-times optical zoom, 28-mm wide-angle lens, a three-inch LCD screen and face detection. It also boasts the scene-intelligence mode to help capture the best shot.

Shende notes the Nikon Coolpix S52C camera offers a compact option loaded with features. The camera boasts nine megapixels, 3200 ISO, three-times optical zoom and image stabilization.

The Wi-Fi-enabled S52C can connect wirelessly to compatible devices for easy uploading and sharing of pictures.

"You can e-mail pictures from the camera within a WiFi network, so you could take a picture of the kids in the back yard and upload it for Grandma, right from the camera," says Shende.

Summertime Fun Gadgets

Summertime is here and it's really time to get out there and enjoy some time with family and friends. Myself - I love to Bar-b-que. And if you think you have what it takes to win - the Canadian National Barbecue Championship is coming up in Whistler this August.
http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/todo/events/detail/bbqchamps/index.htm

These folks turned a new Playstation 3 into a imitation George Foreman grill!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3Hh3tBdHwM (Youtube Video)

Or hey, what about a personalize Branding Iron? http://www.thisnext.com/item/12DA82AB/7CC280F4/Personalized-Branding-Iron-for


Now, when you're out and about this summer - pictures are a great way to share your adventures with the rest of the family. Maybe your grandparents live far-away. Maybe you've got a brother or sister away for the summer. Create a Flickr page to keep everyone in the loop. It's simple, it's free, and it's a great way to stay connected and now they even support video. Camera Phones have gotten really impressive and really easy to use and a lot of them have video. And speaking of video.

While there are more powerful cameras out there - with higher pixel ratio's etc - nothing makes taking video and putting it on the web easier than the Flip by Pure Digital Technologies. Here's the deal, it’s a handheld, has 1 to 2GB capacity video capture device. It captures 640×480 video at 30fps. There is a 1.8″ LCD screen on the back and it runs on 2 AA size batteries. It has a neat flip-out USB connector that allows you to plug it straight into a standard USB port. It also has an output plug and cable for direct TV output. On the bottom there is also a standard sized threaded tripod connector. There is no memory card slot, and the device holds 60 min of video. It's actually really good quality - it's easy to use - and you can get them at Wal-mart for $159.99 or buy them online - they'll be coming to other retailers shortly.

The camera saves video in a format called 3ivx, a specific MP4 video compression that's been designed to use less processing power for playback. When you plug the device into a Windows or Mac computer the first time, Flip will install the required software to preview the videos, capture the videos onto your computer, and allow for some basic editing. It also shows up as a generic USB storage device. I had one of these Flip Video Camera on my desk for a month - but didn't get the chance to look at it. Then I heard Oprah was talking about it. I had to check it out.

When Oprah talks - I listen. http://theflip.com/ There's even video of Oprah using the camera on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFBoiaGSDfE
Now you've all watched stuff on YouTube - now you can contribute. You can put your own videos up there for everyone to see. Or you can put them up on your Flikr page too - Flikr now supports video too.

I've been talking a lot about family - and here's a great way to connect with family and learn a little bit about your family's history. It's a local company called FamilyTree - and they've got a great website that combines pictures to easily create your very own family tree - and you can do it together - not just you and your immediate family - but everyone - your uncle can put up information and pictures, your great Aunt can add stories - everyone can contribute and find out a little bit more about the family in the process.

There is also a really interesting photo sharing Facebook application by a Vancouver company named Kinzin.com - It's easy and fun - so check out kinzin.com It let's you share photos securely and privately and it's so easy - any one can use it.

Recycle, Reuse, and the Rise of FreeGeek

Summertime is finally here and a lot of people will be cleaning house. But, it's important to always try to reuse and recycle.

Over 140,000 tons of computer equipment, phones, televisions and other e-waste (electronic waste) end up in Canadian landfills each year.

This is a serious problem because this E-waste often contains toxic materials like lead, mercury, cadmium, and more.

So, today I’m going to tell you about simple ways to properly dispose of your old cell phones, computers, and used electronic equipment.

The number of cell phones that need to be recycled every year is growing incredibly fast. Cell phone circuit boards, batteries, LCD's and plastics can all be recycled.

And recycling your old cell phones - working or not - couldn't be easier.

In fact, all the major cell phone companies have recycle programs –

Telus will plant a tree for each handset collected through the Return & Recycle Program.

http://www.telusmobility.com/about/public_affairs/recycling.shtml

Bell donates $1 to WWF Canada for each phone collected and has also donated used phones and free airtime to over 130 women's shelters in Canada.

http://www.bell.ca/support/PrsCSrvWls_Clp_Recycle.page

Rogers runs a phones for food program with the United Way.

http://your.rogers.com/aboutrogers/communitysupport/community_development.asp

So don’t let those cell phones sit in a cupboard – recycle them.

Now, when it comes to any electronics or computers – the best option is always to reuse and now there are some really great ways to recycle.




There is lots of great information and recycling tips at The Recycling Council of British Columbia website

http://www.rcbc.bc.ca/

They've even got a toll-free recycling hotline - 1-800-667-4321 in Vancouver just call 604 - recycle

Also check out the Ministry of Environment's webpage

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/epd/recycling/

You'll find information about how to recycle just about anything in your home.

There is lots of recycling information available - sometimes we just need a little help finding it.

Earlier this year Metro Vancouver started the Zero Waste Challenge. It encourages residents and businesses to generate less waste following the 3R's; Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. So, if you're a business and you'd like to find out about programs available to you - check out the Zero Waste Challenge website.

http://www.gvrd.bc.ca/ZeroWaste/

Finally, I want to tell you about FreeGeek Vancouver – a really great non-profit organization that will help you ethically recycle your computer equipment. They recycle the equipment and teach people valuable computer skills in the process – in fact, if you volunteer 24 hours of your time – you can learn about computers while you earn a free computer.

They take all computer equipment, FREE OF CHARGE, working or not, in any condition.

Your old computer equipment goes directly into their volunteer programs. Even while it's being evaluated, people are learning to identify computer parts.

They also promote reuse by selling surplus equipment in their Computer Thrift Store.

Free Geek is a community-supported organization and they've got a great website with information on computer recycling no matter where in BC you are.

http://freegeekvancouver.org/

You can check out our blog for all the addresses and until next week – keep clicking and stay connected.

Internet Search Tools

Now, way back when, the term "computer" actually referred to a real person who performed numerical calculations. So today I’m going to give you some really good tips about how you can achieve better search results.

The Internet is a very big place – so big - it’s virtually impossible to accurately say how big it really is. And search engines like Google and Yahoo are only indexing a small part of the entire Internet content. Out of an estimated 5 million terabytes of content - that continues to grow every day – Google has only indexed about 170 terabytes.

So let me show you some simple techniques that will really make a difference and save you some time. First of all, Quotation marks are your friend – get in the habit of using them. If you just type in Vancouver Canada Winter Olympics Athletes– you’ll get vastly different results than if you typed in “Vancouver Canada” + “Winter Olympic Athletes.”

Quotation marks tell the search engine to only bring back pages that include the terms exactly how you typed them. Otherwise, the search engines will just locate the individual words – whether they’re together or miles apart. This little tip will save you a lot of time and frustration.

If you need to search deeper – you can also look into searching directories, use metasearch engines, or do a bolean search.

A good, general, common sense approach is to start with a large search engine and then branch out with some of the smaller engines and directories.

You can also search some of the "invisible web" - that giant part of the Internet that search engines and directories don't have direct access to, like databases.

Here are a few sites that can help:
Direct Search site by Gary Price
Invisible Web Directory
The Resource Discovery Network
The University of California (InfoMine)
The Virtual Library

There are many, many sites that are set up to dig into the Invisible Web. The University of Kansas's ProFusion metasearch engine provides topical deep Web searches. CompletePlanet.com is a directory of "over 70,000+ searchable databases and specialty search engines."

The SJSU Academic Gateway is a fabulous resource that enables you to get into not only San Jose public libraries, but the San Jose State University library as well. In addition, there are governmental (US) databases such as Ask Eric, which provide access to over 3000 educational resources (organized by category), and the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Here are a few other search tips:

1. Use the 'site:' command to search individual web sites
2. Search for file formats like PDF, PPT or XLS to narrow down and focus your search.
3. Use the OR command in combination with the site: command to search more than one site or type of site. For example,
"carbon emissions trading" filetype:ppt site:ac.uk OR site:gov.uk
4. Try to use more than one source and double check the accuracy of the information with independent sources.
5. Use books, they’re also excellent for historical information. As well as Amazon, try Google Books (http://www.google.com/books/) for older texts, and Live Books (http://search.live.com/books/).
6. Use services such as Zuula or Intelways to remind you of the different types of information that are available and their appropriate search engines. Type in your search once and click on the search tools one by one.
7. Build your own Google Custom Search Engine for collections of sites that you regularly search, to create a searchable subject list.
8. Try good old fashioned Boolean. Yahoo, Exalead and Live support AND, OR, NOT and 'nested' searches, but don't go overboard. Remember to type in the operators as capital letters, otherwise the search engines will ignore them as stop words.
9. Use social bookmarking services to track down other people's research lists on a subject like del.icio.us, or Digg, etc.
10. Use the Internet Archive (Wayback Machine) at http://www.archive.org/ for pages, sites and documents that have disappeared. Ideal for tracking down lost documents, seeing how organizations presented themselves on the Web in the past, and for collecting evidence for a legal case.

You’ve also got to remember that navigation is an important part of the digital landscape – you’ve got to stratagize and show your team how to take advantage of the tools available.

Save the Net - Why Net Neutrality is really important

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/moyersonamerica/net/neutrality.html

"One estimate is that 60% of the content on the Internet is produced by people, not corporations. You look at commercial TV - zero, Radio - 5% - talk radio, newspapers - an occassional op-ed maybe, or a letter to the editor. 99% of the content of those three traditional media are from corporations - the internet has turned that on its head."
Mark Cooper (from PBS's Bill Moyers on America)


"When I invented the Web, I didn't have to ask anyone's permission. Now, hundreds of millions of people are using it freely. I am worried that that is going end"

Sir Tim Berners Lee

Save the Net - Why Net Neutrality is really important.

When people pool their information, expertise, and resources together – you often get amazing results. And that’s essentially what the Internet is – the world’s most amazing source of information. The web is democratic – it’s all about equality of access – it’s available to anybody with Internet access and no one is supposed to get preferential treatment. Unfortunately, some very powerful companies are trying to change all that.

Net Neutrality doesn’t sound very sexy – but at its core – it’s about Saving the Internet. Net Neutrality in Canada is the principle that consumers should be in control of what content, services and applications they use on the public Internet. It's a pretty simple concept and it’s been working pretty well so far.
I love how the Internet works. Whether it’s a corporate retail site, a celebrity gossip site, or a Norwegian Folk Singer’s blog – all the pages are sent to my computer with equal speed. It’s democracy at its finest.

But what happens if ISP’s - Internet service providers like telcos and cable companies - start slowing down some traffic and speeding up others to make more money? What happens if they decide they don’t like what someone is saying and prevent people from getting to it? What if - suddenly, you can’t go where you want on the Internet and you have to pay extra to go in the fast lane with the big guys?

Well, if the Service Providers have their way and we lose net neutrality - surfing the Internet will be very different experience that it is today. These companies want to ability to slow down some Internet sites and block access to others. As Canadians – do we want to have less access to information than other countries? Do we want to make sure we give our kids, our businesses, and our entrepreneurs the tools they need to succeed in the digital age?

It doesn’t matter if you’re politics are left, right, or centre - we all love the Internet and we need to save it. Ottawa professor Michael Geist has great information on his website and there’s a campaign called netneutrality.ca gaining steam – just type in – savethenet.ca The CRTC has only given us till June 11 to make our voices heard.

This sort of discrimination would really hinder future innovations. A lot of really popular sites, like Google, eBay, and YouTube wouldn’t even exist if there hadn’t been net neutrality. And democracy is all about free speech – and the other frightening thing about this is that I.S.P.’s could censor speech they don’t like — in fact, we’ve already had examples of it.

In September 2007 in the States, Verizon Wireless refused to allow a Pro-Choice organization from sending text messages over its network. In 2005, Telus blocked access to voices-for-change.ca, a website supporting the company's labour union during a worker’s dispute. Right now, Bell Canada is throttling (or slowing down) third party Internet service providers (ISPs).

The Internet should continue to offer equal access to everyone. Cable and telecos shouldn’t be allowed to say who gets the fast lane, who gets the slow lane, and where we’re allowed to go on the Internet.

Net Neutrality is about giving equal access to everybody – the net has become an integral part of the way we share ideas and information and has been an instrumental factor in digital innovation. We’ve got to fight to keep it that way. We’ve got to savethenet Canada.

You can learn more about net neutrality and make your voice heard at savethenet.ca and netneutrality.ca. And also please check out Michael Geist.ca - he has a really informative website with lots of excellent information.

I’m Bradley Shende - until next week, keep clicking and stay connected.











































































































































http://www.pbs.org/moyers/moyersonamerica/net/index.html

The Rise of the Smart Phone

A recent report shows that 16% of US households use only cell phones. Stats Canada reports that we’re slowly moving in the same direction – we’re currently sitting at 6.4%. Convenience is probably the largest single factor influencing the cell-only trend, but the rise in popularity of 3rd Generation Networks and smart phones will create even more converts.

A smart phone is a next-generation, multifunctional cell phone that can handle voice communication, text-messaging, and data processing as well as enhanced wireless connectivity. They’re like a supped-up cell phone – and when you combine a smart phone with a decent 3G network – your cell phone starts to work like a home computer.

Smart phones have:

• Enhanced wireless capability like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and the ability to synchronize with computers.


• A large RAM and ROM memory and storage (memory cards or built-in hard disk).


• And operating systems with advanced applications like media players, browsing capability, and games. A lot of smart phones also have high end camera lenses and video sharing capability.

As Canadian cell companies continue to expand their 3G (3rd Generation) networks, more and more consumers will make the switch to smart phones. Early adopters are already using smart phones to send and receive video, check websites in real time, and make video conference calls.

And if you thought Facebook was addictive on your computer – wait til you start playing with it on your smart phone. You can update photos immediately – watch videos, instantly message back and forth with friends – and constantly update your Facebook status or check the status of your friends.

Of course, before you start playing with any web sites on your cell phones - contact your network provider and make sure you know what kind of data package you have. A friend of mine got a new phone and started playing on websites like Facebook and got a bill that could have payed his mortgage for the month.

If you really want to keep all your friends up to date about your activities – you can also Twitter them – your friends register as part of your network and you’re able to update them whenever you like. Some of my friends use it all the time – Sandra is doing her laundry – John is going for drinks with the gang – there’s a pick-up basketball game tonight at wherever. It is really handy when doing business at conferences. You can let people know you’ve updated your website with new video – or you’ve posted a new blog.

Another interesting site to check out is called Kyte. You can download the Kyte video player to your cell and effectively – the site is like a youtube for your cell.

The iPhone and other smart phones make surfing the net much more accessible and user-friendly. Lots of Canadians simply bought US iPhones and hacked them to work in Canada – but we are officially supposed to get the iPhone from Rogers before the end of this year. Rumor has it that the new 3G iPhones will be announced in June; hopefully Canada will be part of that rollout.

One of the reasons people hold on to their landlines is cheap long distance calls – but the cell phone manufacturers are slowly creeping into that market too.

The Nokia 6301 can connect to a Wifi router and lets you make cheap or free long distance calls anywhere in Canada– heavy long distance users will really like this. As long as your phone is connected via Wifi – you can technically call anywhere in Canada for free. What’s more, if you start the call from home using the Wifi – you could leave your house and drive all the way to the airport while still talking and the whole call is free.

With all the amazing smart phones out there – it’s no surprise that the number of cell phone only houses in Canada is on the rise.

Until next time - keep clicking and stay Connected.

Digital Philanthropy

Technology helps break down borders – and the web acts as a simple tool that makes exchanging information easy. People can now access information and business tools that they previously couldn’t – and sharing information is exactly what the internet was originally created for. Essentially, professors needed a way to share information quickly across great distances. Necessity breeds invention.

Today I’d like to talk about some amazing Digital Philanthropic activities that have been made possible through the advent of the web. Are we becoming a more compassionate culture?

There’s a great quote from Margaret Mead – “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Small changes can make big differences – and when people come together they can make big change. When people throw their weight behind a good cause – they can really make a difference – five bucks alone doesn’t mean much – but when thousands of people throw in five bucks it really adds up. The web gives access to millions of people – if you can get your message out there – you have access to millions of people.

These websites make it easy to give to a worthy cause – but the idea of micro-loans is really interesting because they also empower the beneficiaries – they use the money to start a small business and then turn around and repay the loans so that others can also benefit. This is the 2006 Nobel Prize winning idea that micro-loan pioneer Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank use. A few hundred dollars might not mean much to a North American business – but it means life and death to someone in the third world. The program has enabled millions of Bangladeshis, almost all women, to buy everything from cows to cell phones in order to start and run their own businesses.
Some of the amazing websites out there are givemeaning.com – they host fundraising pages on behalf of charities, non-profits and grassroots projects.

Designcanchange.org – it’s tackling climate change and issues about the environment by providing information and resources to businesses who want to make positive change.

Kiva.org is one of these micro-loan sites – lets you lend whatever amount you would like to a entrepreneur of your choosing in the developing world – empowering them to help themselves. You could be helping them built a bridge, expand a small retail business, or start a brand new one.

Freerice is a website that gives rice through the UN when you go and play a word game. For each word you get right – they donate 20 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program. The rice is paid for by the advertisers whose names you see on the bottom of your vocabulary screen. So you get smarter and hungry people get rice – it’s a definite win-win. Add it to your morning reading.

So whether you want to give to an entrepreneur in a developing country or help out a valuable resource closer to home – it’s just a click away.

EOL.org is the Encyclopedia of Life – it is an amazing site that lets you explore virtually all the species of plants and animals on Earth. It’s wonderful – kids and adults will love it. The Encyclopedia of Life is an ecosystem of websites that makes all key information about all life on Earth accessible to anyone, anywhere in the world. It’s a global effort by Natural History museums, teachers, botanical gardens, resource centers – and soon, you’ll even be able to contribute by adding photos, drawings and videos. It’s growing and evolving all the time – just like us.

That’s it for today – you can learn more about the Encyclopedia of Life by watching ConnectedLife’s free video pod cast on iTunes. I’m Bradley Shende - until next week, keep clicking and stay connected.

Bradley Shende Global TV: Video Games & Social Networking

Video Games and Social Networking

Video games are making big money and big news – some good – some bad - we’ve all probably seen the media blitz for Grand Theft Auto 4 – Mother’s Against Drunk Drivers wants the game to be reclassified as Adults Only. I’m not much for violent video games – but from a business perspective – the game adds another layer to the social networking aspect – the game itself becomes a selling platform.

The game is like a virtual shopping mall – if you like a song you hear on the radio in the game – you can tag it – if you thought stand-up comedian Ricky Gervais ((of Office and Extras fame) who is in the game) is funny, you can tag him – everything you do in the game is recorded - later when you log into the GTA4 Social Club – you’re presented with more information about the things you tagged and you’re even given info on how to buy it from online vendors like Amazon.com. Violence and In-game marketing – what will they think of next?

On a more positive side – games like Mario Kart for the Nintendo Wii – or Guitar Hero or Rock band – are also taking social networking to a new level. On the Nintendo Wii - there’s the option of installing the Mario Kart Channel to the Wii menu – it posts local and international player rankings and lets you know about racing competitions that anyone with the game can compete in for prizes.


Guitar Hero and Rock Band are taking things even further – people are having so much fun with these games – they’re actually interacting with friends. Games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band are not only bringing people together in homes – but in social arenas as well - friends are getting together and challenging other gamers in pubs and nightclubs all over Canada. Even locally, here in Vancouver - clubs like Celebrities and the Cellar have nights where people play against one another – it’s like Karaoke with a backing band! And – like the GTA4 – you can also buy the songs you play in the game as mp3s or ringtones.

Gaming – which was once thought of as a semi - anti-social behaviour – geeks in their basement – is now a viable social activity - meet-ups of guild or team members for certain games, and gaming tournaments. Another interesting phenomenon is that sales of actual guitars and lessons have started to spike – of course doctor visits for people with repetitive strain injuries may be going up too. Whatever your taste - gaming is really going to the next level.

You can learn more about trends in gaming, technology, and science on our free iTunes video podcast – just search for Connected Life. And if you haven’t grown tired of Facebook yet, we’ve got a Connected Life group there as well. I’m Bradley Shende for Connected Life – until next week – keep clicking and stay connected.

Baby Tech

ConnectedLife - Show 33 Baby Tech
ConnectedLife is all about babies. We visit UBC’s Baby Cognitive Lab, look at some popular baby gadgets and learn about a new study that says babies and TV shouldn’t mix. Stop crying - this is ConnectedLife.


Baby Tech
In 2006, tech-savvy, gadget-crazy North Americans spent $2.9 billion on baby goods with $337 million going towards things like video monitors, digital thermometers and wireless surveillance cameras. Technology is everywhere, even the baby’s room.

If emailed photos just won’t do, you can now get video phones to share exciting moments with relatives. In a similar vein, baby monitors - the must-have piece of gadgetry for every parent – are now available with video. Love your iPod? Now so can your baby, the iCrib speaker dock straps to the crib with Velcro and features a slot for your iPod or other mp3-player. Many MP3 players let parents record soothing messages for when they are away.

Having trouble figuring out what's bothering your newborn? The “Why Cry baby-cry analyzer” will translate wails into five expressions--hungry, bored, annoyed, sleepy or stressed--by measuring volume, frequency and crying intervals.

And remember, if technology can’t provide you with the answer – try a hug.

History Bytes - April 24th, 1962
Children all over the world watch cartons that come from satellite signals. On April 24th, 1962, scientists working for M.I.T. and the U.S. Air Force successfully bounced television signals off the Echo I satellite. The signal was sent from an M.I.T. lab in California and was picked up in Massachusetts, 2,700 miles away. The TV signal simply consisted of the word "M.I.T.," written in block letters.

Babies and Television
Do “so-called” educational baby videos really work or are they brain junk food? Studies at the University of Washington suggest that not only do they not make your kids any smarter - they may actually hinder language and attention development, particularly in the first two years. Babies who watched videos scored 17 percent worse on language-skills assessments than babies who didn't. The UW findings are the latest in a growing body of work that questions the use and effect of television on young children. In fact, growing evidence led the American Academy of Pediatrics to issue its recommendation in 1999 that no child under two years old watch any television.

Green Tips
With over 50 million going into landfills every day, diapers are a serious environmental problem. Consider using eco-friendly alternatives like cloth diapers, or greener disposables from Nature Babycare, Moltex, Tushies, or GDiaper. The outer part of the GDiaper is flushable and is made of viscose rayon instead of plastic, with an inner part made from wood pulp. Whichever method you choose, you’ll be helping to keep nasty diapers out of our landfills.

Going Green Show 32

Going Green

ConnectedLife is going green as we take a look at some amazing inventions at the Green Living Show and Globe 2008. We’ll also talk with Ed Begley Jr. Get green with envy, this is ConnectedLife.

Green Tip
According to Statistics Canada, many Canadians still get rid of dead batteries, old medication, and computer equipment by throwing them in the trash. As a result, dangerous chemicals and more than 275,000 tons of consumer electronics end up in landfills every year. Remember to return obsolete computers and batteries to municipal depots, and always take old medicines back to your pharmacy.

Tech Bytes
On April 10, 1849, prolific inventor Walter Hunt patented the decidedly low tech safety pin. Invented with the desire to pay off a fifteen dollar debt, he later sold the rights for the measly sum of four hundred dollars. His brainstorm went on to make millions for the patent holder and had a profound influence on fashion...

Quote
There is a sufficiency in the world for man's need but not for man's greed.
~Mohandas K. Gandhi

Freaks, Geeks and Games Show 31

Freaks, Geeks and Games
ConnectedLife looks at the latest computer advances as we check out William Gibson, free online games from Electronic Arts, and Sony’s new Vaio computers. Plug in, this is ConnectedLife.

Flying Robot
Harvard University's Micro-robotics Laboratory claims to have created the first tiny micro-robotic fly able to generate enough thrust to take off. It has a wingspan of 3 cm and only weighs 0.06 grams. They plan to showcase it at New York's Museum of Modern Art in late February, 2008. The project received funding from DARPA, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which hopes to gain access to micro-miniature surveillance technologies.

Free Video Games from EA
Electronic Arts, the world's largest video games company, is releasing a free ad-supported online version of its popular Battlefield Heroes title. Selling ads within computer games has become big business in recent years, but EA's move is the first time a major gaming company has experimented with using advertising to pay for the game itself.

EA saw huge profits in South Korea by distributing its FIFA soccer title online for free, then charging a small fee (or micro-transactions) for character clothing and accessories. EA resorted to online distribution in South Korea in an attempt to fight rampant piracy that drove sales down from 250,000 in 2002 to only 10,000 in 2006. The new online version of FIFA soccer is harder to pirate and has been pulling in an average of $1 million per month, which is almost twice what it earned in its best retail sales year.

Unfortunately, in addition to micro-transactions, Battlefield Heroes will also include in-game advertising. And if the free version of Battlefield Heroes is successful, you can be sure that additional titles will follow this new business model.