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
Wrap up from the weekend!
Facebook Worm
The Ramnit worm has hit approximately 45 000 Facebook accounts, primarily in France and the United Kingdom. Ramnit allows hackers to access the credentials needed to access bank accounts and corporate networks. Facebook is assisting users in regaining control of their accounts. The main problem is that people tend to use the same password for multiple sites; yet, many sites require a password where it's not really needed, adding to the password issue.
Computer-Aided Medicine
The American National Institute of Health is developing a database to assist harried doctors. Researchers are using over 200 000 questions compiled by AskTheDoctor.com and 9000 questions gathered by Stanford University and the University of Minnesota. The NIH has also contacted IBM over the possibility of using Watson to test the questions. The goal is to reduce the amount of time needed to research medical problems with doctors being able to ask their computer assistant to do the work instead. The takeaway here is the coming together of different knowledge bases towards a common goal. We'll be seeing more of this in the coming decade.
More Bad Internet Law to Come
This time, in Canada. The ruling Conservatives are expected to introduce a bill that will force Canadian ISPs to hand over client data to law enforcement without a warrant. The bill would also require ISPs to implement technology to intercept customers' communications. I'm not surprised, really – the Canadian Conservative Party tends to be a few years behind the American Republican Party when it comes to enacting bad laws like this. Tends to not work out as well, though. The Canadian privacy commissioner already has reservations and the activist group OpenMedia.ca is warning canadians about the proposed bill. (Also in the story, more security issues even with RIM's BlackBerry Messaging System, which is still more secure than text messaging. It's not a question if something can be hacked, just a question on when.)
Classic Getting a Remake
Wizards of the Coast has announced that the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons is open to playtesting. It's a way to see how games are created and refined.
The Future of the Consumer Electronics Show
With both Microsoft and Apple pulling out of the CES, people are starting to wonder if the expo has a future. The main question is without two of the biggest companies, will people and the media continue to go to CES.
Siri Doubles iPhone Traffic
Users of Siri have double the data traffic of people who don't use it. For people who have bandwidth caps, this could cause extra charges.
Microsoft Improving WiFi Networking
Microsoft has developed a new WiFi protocol that uses white spaces to improve speed even with interference. The network uses multiple transmitters and receivers and switches frequencies as needed.
–Scott D
So far, I've left out tie-in novels, treating them more as merchandising more than an adaptation. Probably an unfair assessment, but it does cut out a large number of reviews as quality can vary author by author. This time around, though, I will look at a series of tie-in novels.
In 2009, ABC first aired Castle, a police procedural/murder mystery series starring Nathan Filion as the titular mystery writer who managed to cajole a ride-along with a New York City homicide detective. What could have been just yet another police procedural lasted several seasons because of the chemistry and abilities of the lead actors Filion and Stana Katic. The show is one part Moonlighting, one part Murder She Wrote and one part Law & Order.
Naturally, whenever a show becomes popular, the studio tries to make the most of it. Most shows wind up with a variety of merchandise, from backpacks and shirts with logos to action figures. However, with mysteries attracting a literary crowd and the geek factor inherent in Nathan Filion, ABC went meta.
Instead of releasing a series of novels using the characters from the show, ABC hired a ghost writer to work under the penname Richard Castle to write the books that the character Castle was researching with the homocide unit in the show. To get things truly twisted, Castle has a self-insert character, Jonathon Rook, who is a writer who had spent time with the main character, Nikki Heat who is based off Katic's character Kate Beckett, to research a story for a magazine. So, we have a fictional author writing a real book based loosely on the fictional homocide unit in the show and writing himself into the story.*
Yet, anyone who follows the show can recognize the different characters and acknowledge the differences because it's a Nikki Heat novel, not a Castle tie-in novel. At the same time, anyone unfamiliar with the series doesn't have to worry about not getting the metacharacters and can enjoy the story on its own merits, a light read that is still filled with plot twists that keeps the reader guessing whodunit until the reveal.
So, how successful is the book, in terms of an adaptation? On one hand, technically, it's not a Castle tie-in novel. It uses a fictional fictional character** created in-universe. Characters line up but aren't one-to-one matches. At the same time, the meta levels of the characters from the show shine through, leaving no doubt about which character is which. The humour of the series comes through, even when dealing with murder. And, it's a fun read. The author (the real one, not the guy on the back cover, unless Filion is the real one***) had a deft touch while writing, making sure that the characters from the series were seen through the character Castle's eyes. It looks like the writer took the time to get to know the characters in the show and applied that knowledge, and, as seen many times in this column, that seems to be the key element into making a successful adaptation.
Next time, something far less meta.
* And this doesn't even include the author's bio on the back page, complete with photo.
** Math-wise, it'd look like "fictional (fictional character)" if that helps parsing.
*** Which would start creating a meta-black hole.
More movement at RIM, cheap tablets, and the cost of charging too much.
RIM to License Blackberry Platform?
RIM may be in talks with Samsung and HTC about licensing the Blackberry 10 platform. This may keep RIM afloat in the short term, but the company gets 79% of its revenue from hardware sales.
The Downside of Usage Based Billing
Canadian ISP Teksavvy will be raising rates due to "capacity-based billing", allowing the big ISPs to charge smaller ones for chunks of capacity for potential use. Teksavvy says that while fixed costs have gone down, variable costs, such as capacity, has grown and blames the CRTC for instituting capacity-based billing after usage-based billing turned out to be unpopular enough to get all three parties (Liberal, NDP, and Conservative) to force the agency to back down from it. However, even capacity-based billing will stifle Canadian Internet expansion as costs rise.
India to get $35 Tablet
Canadian company Datawind has created the Aakash Tablet, which will be sold in India for $35. The Aakash has a basic touch screen and can run word processing, web browsing, and video-conferencing with its Android co-processor.
The Future of North American Entertainment?
Two Chinese sites, Youtu and Tudou, are going to court over rights on what shows and content could be shown by the companies. At stakes are 400 million online viewers and the ad revenue chasing the eyeballs. The sites started out as Youtube imitators, allowing people to upload videos, including the ubiquitous cat vids. However, the sites since branched out, getting foreign content and creating their own much like a TV station would. North American broadcasters may want to pay attention to how this shakes out. content creators may also want to think about creating original content for online streaming.
Texting Down
The use of texting is down as people find cheaper means of communicating. US providers are still getting 12% of their revenue from texting, but the costs are driving some people to use social networking instead. Given that it is cheaper to use Facebook on a smartphone dataplan than to send a text directly, the providers have themselves to blame, really.
Canadian Government Cracking Down on Spam
The Canadian government will be opening a spam resource centre (SRC) to identify, track, and analyze spam and malware sent via email. Industry Canada will be responsible for the centre. The purpose of the SRC is to prevent the undermining of the online economy by spam. Unlike in the US, where the CAN SPAM act was written by companies who wanted to send junk email once the spammers were dealt with, Canadian companies are mostly on board against spam, seeing it as a threat to the Internet.
–Scott D
Netflix Streaming
Netflix streamed over 2 billion hours of content in the last quarter of 2011. In Canada, though, this has led to subscribers being dinged for going over bandwidth caps, a controversial (to be nice about it) way major ISPs like Rogers use to get more money out of users.
Smartphone Help After Disasters
A team of British computer scientists has developed software to help in the aftermath of natural disasters. The software, which can be deployed by rescue workers, can locate missing persons by tracing GPS signals and help direct people with smartphones to safety.
RIMpocalypse Continues
RIM has slashed prices on Playbooks. US prices are now $299 for each of the three models while Canadian prices are $199, $249, and $399 (for the 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB models, respectively). This looks more like an attempt to clear out backstock than anything else at the moment.
Yahoo! Gets New CEO
Yahoo has hired Scott Thompson, former CIO of PayPal, as its new CEO. Given that Thompson is a technology person, not a slash-and-burn-style CEO that sells off chunks of companies, Yahoo! may be trying to leverage itself back into being a mover in the online world.
–Scott D
