Dougplanet News

CRTC Hearings Continue - Let your voice be heard!

2009-06-12T15:19:00.002-04:00

Originally posted over at rgbFilter.

As we've covered many times in the past, Bell has continued to put a stranglehold on innovation in Canada's DSL infrastructure, as we've seen our rankings in the world continue to slip further back. Although slow in coming, the CRTC hearings continue regarding Bell throttling 3rd party wholesale customer, and public input for round two is open, until June 22nd.

The following letter was sent out by TekSavvy CEO Rocky Gaudrault to all customers, and details exactly how to submit your comments to the CRTC.

Dear Customers,

In March 2008 Bell started throttling its Wholesale Customers (TekSavvy among a group of many) without notice. We attempted to have the CRTC force Bell to stop as it removed our ability to do business and give Market choice. The throttling was done in the name of congestion, even if Bell, at

the same time launched higher speeds (which they did not share with their
wholesalers) and also dabbled with launching IPTV, which consumes even more capacity.

The CRTC sided with Bell in November 2008 but launched a Public Hearing to discuss Network Management Practices, clearly showing they made a decision on throttling without having all the details in hand to do so. As a result we launched a request to reverse their decision from November (The Review &
Vary) in May 2009.

The only way we are going to make a difference at this point is to get full public support to stop companies like Bell from bullying the market and the regulators! The Telecom and Cableco Monopolies control 96% of our marketplace, so if we don't stand up and voice our concerns, this will become a two party dance where choices and services are going to be completely removed and rates raised to unreasonable levels!

Here are the details on how to submit your comments:

1) Go to:
http://support.crtc.gc.ca/crtcsubmissionmu/forms/Telecom.aspx?lang=e

2) Select "Part VII / PN " from the drop down list and then click "Next"

3) In box entitled "Subject" line, insert "CRTC File #:
8662-P8-200907727"

4) In the box entitled "Description / Comments / Questions", insert any comments that you may have on the review and vary application.

5) If you would like to attach a document, select "yes" and follow the instructions for attaching a file.

As indicated in the Title, I believe the deadline is June 22nd, so don't wait to long

PS - R&V details here:
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/recherche-search/?q=8662-P8-200907727

Couldn't agree more!

rgbFilter 017 - Drag Me to Cells

2009-06-10T11:33:00.002-04:00

The latest episode of the rgbFilter podcast...

If you were planning on upgrading to a new smart phone this summer, we recommend that you give a listen to the mobile section of this episode to get an overview of what's new or soon to be released.

We also take a look at Sam Raimi's "Drag Me To Hell", "inFAMOUS" for the PS3 and "Punch Out" for the Wii, and more!

This episode marks some upgrades and changes to the production end of the show, so you'll see and especially hear a marked increase in quality (so we hope). We'll also be adding a WMV feed at a full 720x408 resolution.

Enhanced Interrogations R Us

2009-05-25T09:25:00.001-04:00

Ash is back, in infomercial form.

Canada Pirate Haven?

2009-04-30T23:11:00.002-04:00

Today marks the first time that the United States has marked Canada as a 'priority' problem in the fight against intellectual property theft. This puts the largest trading partner of the US in the same rogues gallery of pirates that includes Algeria, China, Indonesia, Pakistan, Russia and Venezuela amongst others.

What is most interesting about the Jolly Rogers of the North though is that of major concern is...

Washington also wants Canada to put an end to the flow of pirated and counterfeit movies and DVDs that cross its porous borders. In particular, Washington wants Canadian customs officers to be given the authority to seize pirated materials rather than have to seek a court order each time they suspect a shipment. The flow of pirated and counterfeit material not only enters Canada from abroad but much of it winds up crossing into the United States. [from The Globe & Mail]

Colour me skeptical, but if illegal DVDs getting into the US is a major concern, shouldn't the US do a better job of defending it's border from the discs? It's not surprising that the IIRA (Illuminati of the copyright world) that encompasses the MPAA, RIAA and major software makers such as Apple and Microsoft are all pleased as punch about the decision, even though in the opinions of some Canada actually has better copyright laws than the US as IP lawyer Howard Knopf pointed out last year.

The same Mr. Knopf also points out in an article today that the US has also ignored WTO rulings and quotes Sir Hugh Laddie from a London Times article...

"Of course there is counterfeiting in China, but the same goes on in the US and Europe. Pro rata, the biggest source of pirated computer software in the world in the US.�

The song remains the same though...

Gulf War Dance

2009-04-27T10:51:00.002-04:00

Dug up this little ditty that shows the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Windows Mobile 6.5 Release Date May 11th

2009-04-17T16:27:00.001-04:00

This should bump up release times for new 6.5 devices, and clear the way for Windows Mobile 7 development. Not afraid of hacking? Versions have been available at xda-developers.com for a while.

read more | digg story

2009-04-09T14:34:00.002-04:00

Youtube video

Have another AshRants video extravaganza here. This time it's remixing corporate weasels with Vince of ShamWow fame to an original track laid down by the Asphalt Potato Jam Band. Can you dig it?

Giant Alien Squid Invade Japan, Tokyo Spared.

2009-03-26T12:20:00.003-04:00

The above is an official tourism video for the city of Hakodate, Japan. Giant squid battling giant robots with local landmarks as collateral damage is nothing short of genius.

According to a survey of 100 aliens, Hakodate is the number one city they would most like to invade.

To see more videos in the series, all equally brilliant, you can hit up the Pink Tentacle link, which offers a breakdown of the back story. You can also find the rest on the official YouTube channel.

via Engadget.

OnLive: The Future of Gaming? Probably Not.

2009-03-26T12:12:00.000-04:00

A new online gaming service called OnLive was announced this week at the Game Developers Conference (GDC), promising a new way to play video games via digital distribution, but will it undermine the hardware based consoles?

Instead of worrying about keeping that tricked out gaming rig up to spec, or having a big old console sitting under your TV, OnLive actually runs the games on their own servers and streams the video to you through a 1Mb browser plug-in for your computer or a "microconsole" hooked up to your monitor/HDTV. They also have a very Xbox 360-like wireless control to control the games (though I'm guessing that keyboard and mouse support will be there too), and promise a number of online community features, such as being able to watch others play a match without owning the game, their own version of achievements and much more.

Pricing for games will include a combination of subscription and purchase options, which offers a lot of flexibility, with a number of big name game developers already signed on, such as EA, Take Two Interactive, Warner Brothers, THQ and Eidos.

The idea of being free of the hardware hassles of keeping up with the Pwnses is may be liberating, though it may come with a price.

�OnLive is the most powerful game system in the world. No high-end hardware, no upgrades, no endless downloads, no discs, no recalls, no obsolescence,� said Steve Perlman, Founder and CEO of OnLive. �With OnLive, your video game experience is always state-of-the-art.�

[OnLive]

According to OnLive's President and CEO Steve Perlman, to get the maximum image quality of 1280 x 720, you'll need about 4 megabits worth of bandwidth, with image quality dynamically scaling back when bandwidth decreases, which would be more than a little annoying when fighting of hordes of the infected in Left 4 Dead. In comparison, a 2+ year old system with a low end Core 2 Duo E6300 (1.86 GHz) and a similarly old Nvidia 7950 can run the same game at 1920 x 120o (the equivalent of 1080p).

Graphics quality isn't the only question raised by the OnLive system.

The bandwidth requirements work out to be over 1.4Gb per hour, which is equal to downloading a full copy of the game in after about 3 hours of play. In comparison, online games takes up much less data, in most cases by a factor greater than 10.

Now you'll be fighting for that bandwidth in much the same way you used to fight for control of the remote, or both suffer the pixelated consequences, even if you're playing a single player game that shouldn't require any bandwidth at all. Imagine your ISP being down, so you can't finish off the final level of Prince Of Persia.

That would be more than a little irritating.

In short, I doubt that Mr. Perlman's goal of unseating console hardware is going to happen. Gamers already used to 1080p or greater gaming experiences are not going to give up hardware for what will be an inferior visual experience that is tied to bandwidth.

It's not the OnLive product, but the dependence on the availability of real broadband from ISPs who are slow to upgrade network services, while enforcing ridiculously low monthly caps.

Don't get me wrong, as OnLive looks like it could be a decent supplement for the 'hardcore' gamer, and may also be an entry point for people looking for something more than a Wii with a lower barrier to entry than a PS3, Xbox 360 or gaming rig. With the video game industry continuing to experience solid growth every year, there's more than enough room for OnLive, without the 'hardware is dead' hyperbole.

Originally posted @ rgbFilter

2009-03-18T16:00:00.001-04:00

This is part of an animation side project I've been working on. The site is finished, and the first couple of animations are in the can, so I thought I'd post the latest here for (what I hope will be) your enjoyment. The website is ashrants.com

For those who are curious, the animation is done in the venerable Lightwave 3D, with an able assist in the lip sync department by a program called Magpie Pro. Magpie makes lip syncing dialogue easy, and can output for just about any 2D or 3D application, from LW and Maya to Adobe Flash.

Originally posted at rgbFilter

The Return Of True Horror?

2009-03-12T22:53:00.002-04:00

One can hope. It's been a long time coming, but Sam Raimi is back helming a horror movie about a witch who puts a curse on a loan officer who denies her a mortgage extension. Not a sexy Wiccan witch with parent issues, but a ripped from the pages for the Brothers Grimm wart-bespeckled old hag, complete with an evil eye.

Way to kick it old school, while keeping it topical. Don't be surprised if people start rooting for the witch to win, given the current economic climate. Another point in favour of the witch - Justin Long plays the loan officer's boyfriend (or husband).

Drag Me To Hell hits the screens May 29th.

Asphalt Potato Back And Banging On The Bailouts!

2009-03-12T17:24:00.002-04:00

Been working with Ash on the latest video lately. The project is a wrap, and so is his own personal website at ashrants.com.

Enjoy.

Beatles On Rock Band

2009-03-05T13:52:00.000-05:00

One of the great rock and roll hold outs in the digital age has been The Beatles. Rumours of the Fab Four hitting the mp3 stores surface every year like clockwork. Surprisingly, all the speculation has been wrong.

Finally, Harmonix looks to be on track to be the first to get the Fab Four online, as long as you want to play along, that is. September 9th, 2009 is the scheduled release date of an unknown number of Beatles tracks (albums?) for the popular music game Rock Band. Along with the music, there will be new instruments based on the gear the band used.

It's not surprising to see Apple Corps Inc. dipping their toes in the datastream in this manner, for a couple of reasons. First is that by definition, tracks for music games are DRMed by default, which gives them a more controlled environment. Secondly, with the average tune costing somewhere around $2 there's a built in premium that I'm sure the Corps likes.

So if you're a Beatles fans (honestly, I've never been personally), check out their placeholder website, and sign up to notified when more details arrive, if the throngs of screaming teenage girls don't tip you off in advance.

And if anybody ever gets wind of Harmonix doing the same for Pop Will Eat Itself, The Dead Kennedys or Bauhaus, PLEASE let me know.

Ethical First Person Shooting?

2009-03-03T10:37:00.002-05:00

A new twist on playing Call of Duty: When 13-year-old Evan Spencer wanted to play the ultraviolent video game Call of Duty, his parents gave him the green light, on one condition: He had to follow the Geneva Conventions.

Before he could even play the game, he read through all the Geneva Conventions, and his father quizzed him on them.

read more | digg story

Twitter Back On Bell... For A Price

2009-02-26T12:16:00.000-05:00

Some months ago, Twitter removed its SMS based service in Canada, citing high costs. Now the service is back on Bell, but will cost users 15 cents per message, sent or recieved, regardless of whether one has an unlimited SMS package with Bell.

A spokesperson for Bell Canada said Twitter is considered a �premium� third-party service, so it�s not covered under its plans.

Twitter is an online service that lets people communicate in 140-character status updates and subscribe to the �tweets� of other members. Many people subscribe to hundreds of other members, which can result in hefty text-message fees.[Ottawa Citizen]

Of course, there are a number of ways around this with the right application, without breaking the bank or any agreement with Bell. If you're a Bell customer with a non-smart phone (also applicable to the HTC Touch and Samsung Instinct), you can get their cheapo $10/month 'Mobile Internet' package, which offers unlimited data to your phone, then hunt down a data-based Twitter app for your phone.

Personally, I'm using PockeTwit for Windows Mobile, and can vouch that it's a great free app that doesn't hook into the wallet violating Canadian SMS network.

You can find a comprehensive list of mobile Twitter apps here, although some may make use of SMS, so double check each before installing.

Posted via rgbFilter

Fishmen!

2009-02-24T09:54:00.002-05:00

First saw this link posted by warrenellis over at Twitter...

The best horror-musical since Evil Dead: The Musical. The video was made by the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society (HPLHS) over at cthulhulives.org/, a site that any Cthulhu fan can appreciate. The HPLHS also released a film adaptation of Lovecraft's "The Call Of Cthulhu" a couple of years ago, which I'd highly recommend.

Mobile Interface Demos - From MWC 2009

2009-02-21T16:01:00.002-05:00

I've already posted on rgbFilter about the graphics power of Nvidia's long awaited Tegra platform that should appear on both Google's Android and Windows Mobile in the not to distant future. Beyond processing power, there were some new interfaces demoed at Mobile World Congress in 2009 worth highlighting.

Stantum demonstrated their new multi-touch technology, but what makes it different is that it's using resistive touch screens, as found in many current mobile phones, GPS units and more.

The TouchPark software solution allows for an unlimited number of touch points, accepts stylus, finger or even a paintbrush as an input device and most importantly, has pressure sensitivity. In a video captured by Engadget, a Stantum representative states that their technology can work with current resistive touch screens, and that the TouchPark framework also has 'sub-pixel' resolution, meaning that the accuracy is more refined than the pixel resolution of the screen.

(Video originally recorded by engadget)

Also on display were some new interface designs by TAT (The Astonishing Tribe). First up is a consumer friendly interface dubbed the "Foldout UI"...

Then there's an example of an interface that makes use of eye tracking and tilting to provide a virtual 3D experience. As TAT mentions in their description...

Imagine tilting your mobile so you can look around corners and behind objects in the GUI to access additional information. Imagine layered GUIs where pop-up windows really pop up.

There'll be no shortage of processers able to handle these types of interfaces, either. The Foldout UI was running on the Texas Instruments OMAP 3430 processor (the same processor found in the soon to be released Palm Pre), and Qualcomm has hit the 'high speed' mark with it's 1GHz Snapdragon, currently in the Toshiba TG01 mobile phone.

[posted via rgbFilter]

Resistive Touchscreens: The Future Of Input???

2009-02-19T11:13:00.001-05:00

Stantum's TouchPark demo (includes video) shows a standard resistive touchscreen handling multitouch, pressure sensitivity and much more. Now THIS is a technology I'm looking forward to!

read more | digg story

Oxford thinks kids prefer "mp3 player" over "beaver"

2008-12-10T14:09:00.001-05:00

Oxford's 10,000 definition limit 'Junior' dictionary seems more obsolete than the 150+ words they excised from the latest edition to make room for "broadband" and "celebrity. Forget using paper. Teach the kids to google (which should be a verb in the latest edition).

read more | digg story

Neal Stephenson on Anathem

2008-11-12T11:36:00.001-05:00

Neal Stephenson talks about the Long Now foundation, concepts in Anathem, his writing process and a whole lot more. If you're a fan of Neal's this is well worth checking out.More at http://www.rgbfilter.com/?p=229

read more | digg story

Wall Street Journal Welcomes iPhone Overlords

2008-10-29T21:11:00.001-04:00

The Wall Street Journal has raised the spectre of smartphones replacing laptops, not even realising, it seems, that it is a spectre. Apple�s �cutting-edge� iPhone is held up throughout the article, without a hint of irony, as the prime example of the sort of device that the author sees one day bumping your main mobile computer into a Sarlacc Pit.

read more | digg story

Isohunt Suing The CRIA

2008-09-11T11:26:00.001-04:00

Earlier this year the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) sent a Cease And Desist letter to popular torrent seach site isohunt, demanding that the site be taken down for copyright violation. But rather than cave, ISOhunt is taking the ballzy move...and suing the CRIA right back.

read more | digg story

Garfield Minus Garfield coming to bookstores near you.

2008-09-10T18:24:00.001-04:00

G-G is the hilarious experiment: What happens when you take Garfield out of Garfield strips? Well it turns out you get a much, much funnier strip about a man dealing with crippling loneliness and psychosis while living in the 'burbs. And now, it's gonna be a book. Awesome.

read more | digg story

Bill C61 Gone In Seconds

2008-09-09T11:22:00.001-04:00

The potential 'DMCA of Canada' has been put on life support as the federal government has called an election. Of course, if the ruling party pulls of a majority, it could be back in full force this winter.

read more | digg story

Video Enhancement Using Photographs

2008-09-02T14:36:00.001-04:00

Cool project from the University of Washington that enhances low res video by tracking with high res stills, as well as making use of HDRI and object replacement/removal. The source code, but no application, is available online.

read more | digg story