Internet – Page 4

Google launches open source, royalty free WebM video

May 19, 2010 Doug Groves Flash, google, Google I/O, Matroska, Ogg, On2, VP8, WebM0 comment

Although Google’s plans to release an open-source video codec was widely discussed in the tech community for some time, the big G has made it official. Google’s acquisition of On2 and their video codec has become WebM. According to the announcement during Google I/O conference, WebM is a container based on the popular Matroska, with VP8 video and Ogg audio streams packaged inside. What makes WebM compelling is that Google has decided to make it both open source and royalty free, which could set it up to be the HTML5…

The Onion spoofs Google Mobile Ads: Genius!

May 18, 2010May 19, 2010 drsquid advertising, google, Nexus 1, Onion, onion news network, ONN, parody, satire, spoof, video0 comment

Will this actually become reality? Well according to this rumour, the video above isn’t that far fetched!

Google accidentally collected WiFi data

May 14, 2010May 15, 2010 Doug Groves google, privacy, Street View0 comment

In their recent blog update, Google admitted that they inadvertently gathered data from unencrypted WiFi networks, using the Street View cars as the collectors. This comes about a month after Germany’s data protection agency (DPA) in Hamburg started looking more closely at what the Street View vehicles were doing, after it was discovered that the cars were logging access points. Google initially reported that they were merely collecting the locations of access points as they snapped photos and mapped building, but as it turns out, they were actually collecting payload…

Apple announces Canadian iPad date, Bell joins Rogers in confirming ‘support’

May 8, 2010May 10, 2010 drsquid 3G, Apple, Bell, canada, HSPA, iPad, Rogers, Telus, WiFi0 comment

Apple finally announced on Friday exactly when the iPad will be available internationally. It will hit Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK on May 28th, and will be up for pre-order on May 10th. Both the Wi-Fi and 3G models will be available on that date, and the Canadian prices are as follows: Suggested retail price of $549 (CAN) for 16GB, $649 (CAN) for 32GB, $749 (CAN) for 64GB for Wi-Fi models and $679 (CAN) for 16GB, $779 (CAN) for 32GB and $879 (CAN) for…

Usage-based billing okayed by CRTC

May 6, 2010May 6, 2010 Doug Groves Acanac, Bell, canada, CRTC, Internet, online rights, Teksavvy2 Comments

The CRTC has unsurprisingly sided with Bell, and is allowing the big blue telco to go ahead with it’s usage-based billing scheme, and yes, scheme is the most appropriate word here. Not only does it mean that Bell gets to charge it’s own customers, who are already paying through the nose for parltry data caps, but now big blue can hit 3rd party suppliers, like TekSavvy and Acanac with fees that look downright preposterous. Bell has complained about traffic congestion, caused mostly by heavy file sharing, but as their own…

DMCA disaster headed to Canada!

May 5, 2010 Doug Groves canada, DMCA, legal, Michael Geist, online rights, PMO5 Comments

Despite a vocal popular opposition to the idea of enacting anything like the lunacy of the US DMCA here in Canada, that’s exactly the type of copyright bill the Prime Minister’s Office plans on introducing this June. Who cares what the People say, when the US speaks, I guess, even if most of what they say regarding Canada as a copyright violators haven is propagandist FUD. Anyways, instead of ranting, here’s the details from Michael Geist’s site, as well as how to get your voice heard! Months of public debate…

Freedom of the press, or license to steal?

April 30, 2010 Doug Groves Apple, editorial, EFF, Electronic Frontier Foundation, First Amendment, Gizmodo, REACT6 Comments

By now, everybody knows the Gizmodo – iPhone 4G fiasco inside and out. It’s broken beyond the tech world to the mainstream, from the New York Times coming out in favour of Gizmodo’s journalistic rights to Jon Stewart offering an amusing but watered down spanking to Apple for becoming the “1984” it once rallied against. Of course, I’d argue that Apple is more “Brave New World” than “1984”, but that’s another story… What’s got my editorial undies all bunched is how since Gizmodo invoked the journalistic shield law as a…

Windows Media Center in HDTVs, Xbox Live TV around the corner… dare I say “synergy”?

April 29, 2010April 30, 2010 Doug Groves Microsoft, Windows 7, Windows 7 Embedded, Windows Media Center, Xbox 360, Zune Marketplace, Zune Pass3 Comments

Microsoft has talked in the past of making the Xbox 360 an ‘all-in-one’ set top device, capable of providing DVR and TV capabilities, but little substance has come from it. Now, Game Focus is reporting that according to their own trusted source, that an Xbox live TV service will be coming to both the US and Canada by 2011, and that this would work in conjunction with a major telecommunications company, which narrows it down to basically Rogers or Bell. Users will have access to live TV feeds, recording capabilities…

Next is Now: Rogers branding video

April 29, 2010April 29, 2010 drsquid Android, brand, canada, Internet, iPad, Mobile, product, Rogers, smartphone, video6 Comments

Rogers held their annual shareholders meeting today, and like many of these types of meetings, there’s some slick, well-made corporate video to set the mood. I’ve been on the editing end of more than one of these, so I know how it works. The thing is, this one from Rogers, well, kind of works. Using stats projected in urban environments, it communicates the message that the future is here… or “Next is Now” if you will. Some of the stats are somewhat odd though. I did laugh a bit when…

Wardriving the planet: Google Street View style

April 26, 2010 Doug Groves google, privacy, Street View, wardriving2 Comments

Most people love the Street View function in Google Maps, and rightly so. It’s a neat gimmick at the very least, and if you find yourself in an unknown area, it can actually be useful. It’s helped fight crime, by helping police rescue an allegedly kidnapped girl, but the Street View cars have been at the centre of controversy before, including snapping pics while driving along private roads, killing Bambi and more. This this now includes the Street View cars operating as the world’s largest fleet of wardriving vehicles. Wardriving…

Viacom vs. Youtube… and Viacom?

March 18, 2010 Doug Groves funny, legal, Viacom, YouTube4 Comments

Back in 2007, media giant Viacom launched a lawsuit against Youtube for allegedly violating copyright when users posted clips of Viacom properties to the video sharing site. Normally, the procedure for determining the rights goes a little something like this… Person posts a clip to YouTube. Copyright owner tells YouTube to remove it. Person can challenge this with a letter. YouTube re-instates the video until the legalities are sorted out. This is generally the standard operating procedure in most cases. Zahavah Levine, chief counsel for YouTube has posted an article…