rgbFilter – Page 78 – For the pixel pusher in you.

Will Zip.ca be Netflix For Canada?

July 17, 2009 Doug Groves digital download, Zip.ca2 Comments

When it comes to digital film and TV distribution, one of the most popular services out there is the US Netflix.com rental site. Netflix started as a DVD rental company, allowing monthly subscribers to rent as many via mail as they could handle. More recently, Netflix added digital ‘rentals’, so that current subscribers could instantly watch any movie available online using a variety of methods, from the desktop computer to embedded players found in a multitude of devices. In Canada, Zip.ca has been operating under the Netflix DVD model for…

Edgar Wright is coming back to the Bloor Cinema on July 26th

July 17, 2009July 17, 2009 drsquid Bill Pope, Bloor Cinema, Edgar Wright0 comment

Edgar Wright is coming back to the Bloor Cinema on July 26th, for a tribute to his Scott Pilgrim cinematographer, Bill Pope (who is best known for shooting The Matrix and latter two Spider-Man movies). Principal photography on Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is set to finally wrap up the first week of August, so this will be Edgar’s final Toronto event. rgbFilter will be there to cover the event, so check back for some video footage after the 26th.

Facebook Violates Canadian Privacy Law

July 16, 2009July 16, 2009 Doug Groves canada, facebook, privacy7 Comments

Canadian Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart has found that social web giant Facebook violates a number of Canadian privacy laws. Facebook has about 12 million Canadian users alone, so the privacy concerns affect a large swath of the population. One of the most egregious concerns is that when a user decides to delete their Facebook account, their personal data remains on the site, and is still accessible by 3rd party applications. An overarching concern was that, although Facebook provides information about its privacy practices, it is often confusing or incomplete. For…

rgbFilter @ TCAF 2009 – Cecil Castellucci & Miriam Libicki

July 16, 2009May 7, 2010 Doug Groves Comics, convention, event, interview, TCAF, tcaf 2009, Toronto1 Comment

We were at the 2009 Toronto Comic Arts Festival, held on May 9th and 10th. We got the chance to talk to a lot of the artists at the show. This is the second video we’ve put out, and we’ll have more over the next few weeks. This episode is with Cecil Castellucci, writer of the graphic novels The Plain Janes and Janes in Love illustrated by Jim Rugg, which was the launch title for DC Comics Minx line of graphic novels for young adults. We also talk to Vancouver…

Live Android for x86

July 15, 2009 Doug Groves Android, google2 Comments

Curious to give Android a whirl, but nobody’s ported it for your smart phone yet? That’s what Live Android is about… Want to give Google Android a try, but don’t feel like buying a T-Mobile G1? LiveAndroid lets you download a LiveCD disc image of the Google Android operating system. Just burn the image to a disc, stick it in a CD-ROM drive, and reboot your computer and you can check out Android without installing it or affecting any files on your PC. You can also use the disc image…

Net Neutrality In Canada: An Update

July 14, 2009July 14, 2009 Doug Groves CRTC, net neutrality, throttling0 comment

Last week, the CRTC began conducting its hearing into the status of a number of issues facing Canada’s digital future, not the least of which is throttling practices. Since it’s launch just about all the major players, from telecoms to creative associations and private individuals have all had their say. There’s still at least one more day to go as we all await to hear from Bell (who’s 3rd party throttling helped propel the issue to the forefront), but in the past week there’s been some interesting stances, as well…

Rogers HP Netbook (non) Deal

July 14, 2009July 14, 2009 Doug Groves netbook, Rogers10 Comments

After annoucing the 50Mbps hi speed internet option in the Toronto area for the low low price of $150 a month, Rogers is now making on the go internet convenient and similarly expensive. For $300 you can get an HP Mini 110 netbook with embedded 3.5G service, with data plans starting at $25/m for 500MB of data, on a 2 year contract. These deals can be found at certain retailers such as Best Buy. Pointing out the lack of major savings compared to buying an unsubsidized netbook, there’s more suitable…

Killer Video Games And Cash Grabs?

July 13, 2009 Doug Groves Toronto, Ubisoft, video game myth5 Comments

The following was originally intended as a “Letter To The Editor” of the Hamilton Spectator, in response to an article about the Ubisoft Toronto studio deal. You can read that column here… but here’s what stuck out to me. If using tax dollars to assist a foreign private-sector company is an iffy proposition, the thread becomes even more frayed when you look at some of the games in Ubisoft’s roster. Assassin’s Creed enables players to experience the thrill of murdering people in Renaissance Italy. Red Steel allows you to feel…

Canadian High Speed Internet (Slowly) Trickles Out

July 9, 2009July 9, 2009 Doug Groves Bell, couch, Rogers2 Comments

Marketing Strategies Highlight Duopoly In announcements just a day or so apart, Rogers and Bell/Aliant are starting to offer up real high speed internet for Canadian consumers in limited areas. Rogers is bringing 50Mbps DOCSIS cable access to Toronto residents, for the price of $150/month. Besides the 150Mbps, you’ll also be looking at a data cap of 150GB per month, which is pretty anemic for the price. If you do the math, you could blow through your 150GB cap in about an hour 10 hours if you’re going full (non)throttle….

Google’s Chrome OS Coming In 2010

July 8, 2009July 8, 2009 Doug Groves chrome os, google1 Comment

Google is planning on launching it’s Chrome OS, an extension of it’s Chrome browser, by mid 2010, and plans on ushering in an era of “speed, simplicity and security” for netbook computers. Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks. Later this year we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010. Because we’re already talking to partners about the project, and we’ll soon be working with the…

2009 Toronto Zombie Walk Fiendraiser

July 7, 2009July 25, 2009 Doug Groves event, zombie walk, Zombies1 Comment

Do you love the Toronto Zombie Walk as much as the gang here at rgbFilter? If so, then check out the 2009 Zombie Walk Fiendraiser. The above poster (courtesy the Zombie Walk site) says it all. July 18th at Smiling Buddha. Doors open to the dead at 9pm. Check out the site for more details!

Ubisoft Expands Canadian Presence In Toronto

July 6, 2009July 7, 2009 Doug Groves Ubisoft3 Comments

I guess Ubisoft really likes Canada! Besides their locations in Vancouver and Montreal, as well as thed the CG film studio in la belle province, the French game maker today announced that they plan on opening a facility in Toronto. The new studio will be headed by Yannis Mallat, who also heads the Montreal facilities. “Today’s announcement marks a strategic move for Ubisoft as we continue to expand our internal development force,” said Yves Guillemot, president and chief executive officer at Ubisoft. “We are in an excellent position to grow…