New Nook Coming Out
Barnes & Noble is set to release a new version of the Nook this spring. The New York Times suspects that if the Nook doesn't do well, the traditional book will fall by the wayside as ebooks dominate. If the new Nook does succeed in the marketplace, B&N can maintain physical stores.

Kinect on Laptops?
A leak at Microsoft is implying that the X-Box Kinect could be used on a laptop running Windows 8. Microsoft has already announced that the Kinect could be available February 1st for desktops. Given that the computing market is diversifying ("Post-PC world"), Kinects on laptops is a natural progression.

Corporate Rivals Teaming Up to Fight Spam
Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!, AOL, and Facebook are working together, targeting spam and phishing. The tech companies are working with PayPal and the Bank of America to fight the scourge of the Internet. So, which one gets to be Heart?

Facebook IPO
Steve has mentioned this, and I've pointed out relateed news stories in the past month, but it looks like Facebook's IPO could come next week. The initial value could be $100 billion. Goldman-Sachs could be significant in the IPO. I just wish I wasn't using "could" – the IPO seems very probable, but no word is coming from Facebook.

Update!  People are expecting the IPO to have a twist as Zuckerberg does something that doesn't follow traditional wisdom.  The fallout is going to have repercussions.

Cellphones and Smartphones Aid Shopping
Over 50% of cellphone owners use them to help with shopping. Shoppers use their phones to look for the highest quality item and to compare prices. Retailers will need an online presence, even if they don't process online sales, at this rate.

–Scott D

Erotica? On My E-Reader?
With e-readers like the Kindle and Kobo lines, sales of erotic literature has soared. Canadian e-publisher eXtasy had sales take off in 2010 and double in 2011. Part of the advantage of the e-erotica (e-rotica?) is that no one can tell what is being read. There's no lurid cover to have to hide. And, it looks like my NaNoWriMo project from last year may have a potential publisher.

Dial Up Internet For Cheap
The National Capital Freenet is still around and still going, providing cheap dial up serivce and inexpensive DSL. The NCF was one of the first providers in Ottawa and still has over 4000 subscribers and is a good example of a community-based ISP.

–Scott D

Bilingual URLs
Canadian domain names will soon be allowed to use accents. The move by the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) will allow French websites to use the proper accents in their URLs. This won't be a problem for Canadian users – bilingual keyboards are available and are in use in the Federal government.

Truth in Advertising vs Freedom of Speech
File this under A for Audacious. Rogers, the cable company cum wireless provider, has asked the Ontario courts to strike down the requirement that a company needs to have "adequate and proper" tests of a product before making claims about that product. The company claims that the wording violates its freedom of expression. The court case, expected to start in June, is the latest in the company's battle against the Competition Bureau, which started in 2010 when the Bureay levied a Cdn$10 million against Rogers for misleading advertising. This could be Canada's /Citizens United/, a case in the US that ruled that corporations are people.

Canadian Small ISPs to Get New Wholesale Rates
Starting February 1, small ISPs in Canada are getting new wholesale rates. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commissionm (CRTC) enacted new rules last year on how the larger service providers charge independant ISPs for service. The larger providers, including Bell and Rogers, were given a choice – flat rate per user or a specific capacity. Teksavvy, one of the small ISPs, expects to have to raise its rates as a result. The move starts to level the playing field, but still gives a lot of control to the majors.

Online Econmy Expected to Double by 2016
Boston Consulting Group released a report at the Davos, Switzerland G20 summit saying that amount of online business is expected to double by 2016. An online presence will be almost mandatory by then, even if no online sales are done.

Someone Has Confidence in RIM
Fairfax Financial Holdings, Ltd, has doubled their investment in Research In Motion. The company now owns over 5% of shares of RIM. Could this help or hinder RIM?

Siri Has Competition
Apple's Siri now has a competitor, Evi. Evi, created by True Knowledge in the UK, can also respond to verbal questions. Unlike Siri, Evi is available on both iPhones and Android devices. Someone really should put them in a debate with each other.

Facebook Suing Spammer
Facebook and Washington State have filed suit on Ascend Media for "clickjacking". "Clickjacking" gets people to like a site, which then gets posted through their Facebook accounts and spreads. Ascend Media has taken in US$1.2 million a month gross.

Excerpt of Book about Chinese Internet Censorship
Rebecca MacKinnon has written a book about how the Chinese government censors the Internet in the country. The excerpt mentions the "China Internet Self-Discipline Award", given out to people who foster "harmonious and healthy Internet development". When a government starts using words featured in The Prisoner (ie, "harmonious"), something has gone horribly wrong.

–Scott D

The 80s saw a major change in how toys could be advertised. A regulation that prevented companies from making cartoons based on a toy line was dropped* by the Reagan administration. This opened the door to several lines, including Transformers, Jem and the Holograms, Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future, and My Little Pony**. Hasbro created the My Little Pony toy line in 1981, releasing the ponies in 1982, with several cartoons based on the toy ponies. The cartoons were aimed at young girls, the same demographic the toys were. One little girl in particular, Lauren Faust, gave her My Little Ponies distinctive personalities as she played with them.

Ms Faust grew up to be a writer and creator, particularly of cartoons. She worked on such series as The Powerpuff Girls before helming one of the biggest cartoons of the 21st century – My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. In creating that cartoon, she took the personalities her toy ponies had and gave it to the Mane 6 – Twilight Sparkle (a book smart but naive unicorn), Rarity (a fashionable but vain unicorn), Fluttershy (a kind but shy pegasus), Rainbow Dash (a brash tompony), Applejack (a down to earth but workaholic earth pony), and Pinkie Pie (a genre savvy party pony).

There are many keys to the success of MLP:FIS. The big one is that it has a broad appeal. While the show is aimed at young girls, who Hasbro wants to pressure parents into buying the toys, there's enough in the series to attract a large peripheral demographic***. Shout outs and homages abound, from Looney Tunes to Benny Hill; something for everypony. In addition, Hasbro itself has not bothered to take down episodes from various sites, including YouTube, in part because company officials have no idea how to react to the show's success. Since the series exists to sell ponies and ponies are selling, the officials have decided to let things stand.

Another key is how the show presents dilemmas for the Mane 6 to solve. In the 80s, typically there was one character who was designated as being always wrong, even if that character's idea made the most sense. In the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon, Eric the Cavalier held that designation – he'd would always make a suggestion that the others would reject for the group's, even if his idea made more sense. In MLP:FIS, no pony has that designation. Conflict can come from any two characters, and the solution is to work together and use each others' strengths without making either pony feel bad, using the power of friendship.

A third reason for the success is the treatment of the fans. Fanon names for minor ponies, such as Derpy Hooves and Doctor Whooves, have become canon. This is unprecidented. Yet, it lets fans feel more included, something that goes with the message of the series. The names don't affect anything with the Mane 6, but some ponies, including Derpy Hooves, have made more appearances as a result. There is a synergy between the creative crew and the fans.

Over and over, the term "respect" has come up in respect to making a successful remake. In this case, the respect isn't necessarily towards the original material. Instead, it's respect towards the fans that has made My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic a success.****

Next time, an anti-war TV series.

* Although ads for the toys still could not air during the show
** Please hold your squees until after you've read the column. 🙂
*** The last time I saw such a peripheral demographic was in 1995 with /Sailor Moon/. The general reaction from the older male periphery then was, "What did I watch and why am I still watching?", a reaction seen today with new bronies.
**** You may now squee. 🙂

Privacy Concerns
The Province of Ontario's Privacy Commissioner says online privacy needs strengthening. With information so prevalent across various sources, it is now possible to gather the data to build a detailed profile. The Commissioner urges people to be careful with what info they give out. The Federal Privacy Commissioner said pretty much the same thing at a local school. The Federal Commissioner is concerned that today's youth, while growing up admidst the most socially wired time in history, may not fully understand why their privacy needs to be protected.

Ebook Selection for Libraries to Improve
OverDrive Inc, a distributor of ebooks to libraries, will expand their catalogue. Along with a wider selection of books available for lending, the company will include hundreds of thousands that aren't. The program is expected to start in two weeks in New York City, Boston, and Cuyahoga County in Ohio. The move to ebook readers and tablet computing is forcing a change.

Facebook, Facebook, Facebook
A halt in the trading of Facebook shares has prompted rumours of an IPO.  It is believed by insiders that Facebook wants to raise $10 billion. Facebook has declined to comment on the rumours.

Meanwhile, Facebook Timeline continues to be rolled out despite users' concerns and complaints. The main concern is that events and photos previously hidden could become visible. However, once users get the announcement of the changeover on their Facebook page, they can go in and change the settings with a week before having to make the changeover to the new UI.

Social Media and Law Enforcement
Social media, like Facebook and Twitter, can be both a help and a hindrence in an investigation. While situations where people post their crimes on Facebook seem like shooting oneself in the foot, it does happen from time to time. However, most law enforcement agents use the social media to search for secual predators. At the same time, friends and family of people under investigation have inadvertantly spoiled the work of investigators by mentioning the investigation on social media.

Apple Most Valuable
Apple has surpassed Exxon as the world's most valuable company. Record sales encouraged investors to push shares up. Now, the downer from me – when other companies catch up, will Apple's bubble burst?

Video Games Drove Retail
Retail sales last November were up 0.3% over the previous year, thanks mainly to video games. Both Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim were released in November, helping drive sales at sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores. Video games, not just a niche market anymore.

–Scott D

Leading off with the latest in the RIMpocalypse…

RIM Shake Up
The CEOs of Research in Motion have stepped down. Effective Sunday, Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie have passed on the position of CEO to former chief operating officer Thorsten Heins. Balsillie will remain on the board of directors. Shares of RIM dropped when the news was released. New CEO Heins wants to focus on the consumer market, where RIM has shown a weakness.  No idea what this means for RIM.  This could be a move that turns out to help them turnaroud, or just delay the end.

Rogers Violating Net Neutrality
The CRTC has let Rogers know that there is evidence of the cable company throttling Internet traffic. Rogers has until February 3 to respond and either submit a rebuttal or submit a plan plan to return to being in compliance with the CRTC. the investigation started after the Canadian Gamers Organization accused Rogers of hindering online games, specifically Call of Duty: Black Ops. For those outside Canada, Rogers started as a cable company before getting into first the ISP business then wireless telecommunications. even as a cable company, its actions weren't always in the best interest of the paying customer.

Indie Film About Indie Games Optioned
Indie Games: The Movie, by Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky of Winnepeg, has been optioned by HBO to be remade into a TV series.  Indie Games: The Movie shows the progress of several game designers working on their own to produce their own games outside the major studios. The optioning of the movie shows that it is possible for independant studios to still get noticed.

Science Fiction Movie Shot On Location
Sure, many movies are, but Richard Garriott's was shot on the Internation Space Station. Apogee of Fear is the first science fiction movie to be shot in space. NASA so far has blocked the release of the five minute film but is working with Garriott to resolve the roadblocks.

SOPA Vote Delayed
Old news, but another look at the backpedaling. The delay is being directly attributed to the massive protests on January 23, including the black out of Wikipedia. Senate Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid reported seeing six senators that once supported the bill announce their opposition.

The iTextbook
Apple has started selling interactive textbooks for the iPad. Ebook versions of textbooks exist, but lag behind due to cost and technical concerns. Most ebook readers are monochrome (the Fire and the Vox being the exceptions), and for the cost of the needed ebook licenses, school boards could just get the physical book. However, the introduction of tablets to schools is something to keep an eye on.

–Scott D

The Muppets have a long history. First created by Jim Henson in 1955 for Sam and Friends, a five minute live show for WRC-TV in Washington, DC, the Muppets have gone on to enchant the young and old alike, from Sesame Street to the big screen. The Muppet Show hit the airwaves in 1976, featuring a different cast of Muppets from Sesame Street and was aimed at an inclusive family audience. Younger viewers could watch for the brightly coloured characters, teens could get the puns and enjoy some of the guest stars, and adults could catch the multiple levels and enjoy some of the more bizarre sketches and numbers.

At the height of Muppet mania, the Muppets moved to the big screen with The Muppet Movie in 1979. The story was an origins of sorts, showing how The Muppet Show came to be. The movie was filled with running gags, bad puns, slapstick, and cameos, very much like The Muppet Show itself. The only thing missing, really, was the fourth wall. Kermit the Frog set out from his swamp home to get to Hollywood to become a major star, and picked up friends along the way.

In 1990, Jim Henson died suddenly after an illness, leaving the world the emptier with his passing. Henson Studios remained in the family, though, and went to his son, Brian. Muppet movies continued to be made, though, with the same levels of zaniness.

The popularity of the World Wide Web was not ignored by the Muppets. In 2009, Muppets Studios appeared on YouTube. Many videos were made and uploaded to the channel and quickly went viral. Bohemian Rhapsody earned a Webby. With the resurging popularity, was it time for a new Muppet movie? With Jim Henson gone and Frank Oz retiring, several big shoes had to be filled. Could the new staff treat the characters and past material respectfully without rehashing old gags?

The Muppets was released November 2011. The story picked up thirty years after The Muppet Movie, with the old gang gone their separate ways and Muppet Theater, the home of The Muppet Show in disrepair (even more than during The Muppet Show) and in danger of being torn down to be replaced by an oil rig. A faithful fan, one who never really felt really at home except around his twin brother, got to go on tour and discovered the plot. The fan decides the right thing is to try to pull the Muppets back together to stop a proper heritage site from becoming an environmental disaster.

The movie was everything a Muppet fan could ask for, even without the talent of many Muppeteers like Jim Henson and Frank Oz. The characters clicked, from Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Gonzo to new characters like Walter and the 1980s Robot. The characters were well aware that they were in a movie and broke the fourth wall like it wasn't even there. And, the ending broke the stereotype, at least before the deus ex brick Chekov's gun*. The Muppets managed to get attention from unusual directions, including being the target of the ire of a Fox News talking head.**

The selling point, at least for me, though, came while Kermit reminisced about The Muppet Show. As the Frog walked past a number of photos of him and celebrities who had been on the show, he stops at one of him and Jim Henson, letting the camera linger. The crew respected what Henson created, and, as seen time and again in this column, that is the singular key item in making a reboot a success.

Next time, a modern phenomenom***.

* A deus ex machina combined with a brick joke and a Checkov's gun.
** Apparently, working together to fight a corrupt corporate exec is too much.
*** Do do dee do do!

Eastern European ISPs Better Value
Both Canada and the US are starting to lag when it comes to broadband service. With companies trying to make the most out of aging landline technology, Canada and the US are falling behind countries like Bulgaria, Estonia, and Lithuania, who are installing fibre optic lines and providing faster service at a lower cost. Time to put pressure on the big network service providers to upgrade.

Exercise Video Games More Effective Than Exercise
Researchers at the Healthy Aging and Neuropsychology Lab at Union College in New York State have determined that exercise video games help both body and mind. "Exergames", such as the WiiFit line, are providing both physical and mental exercise, unlike a stationary bike that only deals with the physical. The key is the engagement of the mind; traditional exercise only deals with the body. Could we be seeing the end of the couch potato?

No Jobs Action Figure
Apple puts the kibosh on a Steve Jobs action figure. In Icons, the Chinese company that was planning on the figure's release, said that Apple's lawyers put pressure on the company. Pre-orders will be refunded.

–Scott D

Life wound up getting away from me the past few days. Highlights of relevant items will commence.

Former Nortel Execs on Trial
The trial of three former Nortel execs started today in Toronto. The three are charged with fraud; the Crown attorney noted that the former technology company's financial statements were incorrect by "over half a billion Canadian dollars" in the first and second quarters of 2003. This might be the end of the Nortel saga.

Ending the Cell Phone Dominance
OpenMedia.ca has started a petition to have Canadians speak out over the domination of the Big Three service providers. Between Bell, Rogers, and Telus, they control 94% of the market. OpenMedia.ca wants some of the new wireless spectrum set aside for new wireless companies to allow them to compete with the larger companies. The activist group believes that allowing more companies into the marketplace will force the existing firms to compete and lower some of the world's highest fees.

Tricorder Coming Soon?
The latest X-Prize challenge comes from Star Trek. The X-Prize Foundation is offering US$10 million to anyone who can create a working medical tricorder. Some criteria needs to be met, including diagnosing fifteen diseases in thirty patients accurately in three days, capture realtime health metrics, and quickly and effectivly assess health in any location. No word if a Feinberger will be an allowed accessory. Even if a medical tricorder doesn't come out of this challenge, breakthroughs in medical treatment should occur.

Playbook Finally Gets Update
RIM will release the Playbook 2.0 update in February. The free update will include native email, contacts, and calendar software, the ability to synchronize with LinkedIn and Twitter, a video store catalogue, and access to Android apps. The good news, the update, as mentioned, is free. The down side, the update took ten months.

Samsung to Leverage Smartphone Success
Samsung is using its success in the smartphone arena to move into tablets. Included in the process to get their tablets out to consumers, the company will encourage their vendors to learn to use the new technology, including how to set up email on it. The company is also trying to ensure that their tablet's apps will work with all smartphones, not just their own.

–Scott D

Looks like newsmakers are done with their New Year's holiday.

Know Your Rights
A recent report from Oekom has placed the electronics industry as the most likely to violate workers' rights. So-called advances such as just-in-time delivery and the disposability of electronic gear such as iPods and cell phones has created the situation leading to the abuse of workers.

So, How Do You Right Click?
OnLive has developed a streaming application allowing iPad users to run Windows. Using streaming and cloud computing, Windows software can be run without being installed on the tablet itself. The app requires wifi access to run properly; anything less reduces the streaming and slows Windows down to the point where a 486 with XP is faster. This could be a big step towards replacing desktop PCs in businesses with tablets.

Nokia and Microsoft Team Up
The Consumers Electronics Show saw the introduction of the Lumia 900, a joint project by Nokia and Microsoft. The Lumia 900 is an attempt by both companies to catch up in the smartphone field. This could be a new entry point for geeks wanting to get work in a new OS and hardware environment – apps for the Windows phone could be in demand.

The End of Roaming Fees?
Roam Mobility of Vancouver has teamed up with T-Mobile in the US to provide roaming fee-less phone service in the US. Canadians pay some of the highest roaming fees in the world, with half the fees coming from travel to the US. Definitely a game-changer. Watch for the larger providers to react.

Tracking Epidemics? Google It!
A research team at Johns Hopkins Medicine has shown that Google Flu Trends has accurately predicted surges in flu cases at hospitals. The real-time Google search engine has better, more up-to-date information than the data released in government reports, which take time to process and release. Technology is getting more and more integrated into critical aspects of people's lives.

Social Networking Expands
A new scale by Fitbit has an added feature – it can tell your social network your weight. The idea is that a group of people working on weight loss can network their progress through Facebook, Twitter, or other social media. And, if that's not bad enough, terrorist groups are using social networking to recruit. However, in this case, social networks can also be used to spy on the groups.

–Scott D