industrynews

The 2008 PopVox Awards are open and calling for Submissions!

Check out the new site @ www.popvoxawards.com

Key Dates:
April 30, 2008 – Submissions Close
May 1st, 2008 – Voting Begins!
May 12th, 2008 – Voting Ends!
May 23rd, 2008 – Winners announced!

The PopVox Peoples Choice Awards for Digital Media have returned for the 2008 season and we invite the digital media community at large to participate in this annual celebration of international talent.

Sign-up for our mailing list to receive the latest news, program and event information from around the digital media community! It's free - just click on this link and you'll be taken to a sign-up form to complete the process. The Digital Alberta mailing list is provided by Alberta-based Industry Mailout, an industry leader in innovative email marketing solutions.

SFGate tells the story of former Calgarians Garrett Camp, Geoff Smith and Justin LaFrance, and their path taking their Internet startup StumbleUpon into the white-hot center of the latest technology boom in the San Francisco Bay area. After toiling in obscurity for four years, the founders pulled together an A-list of Silicon Valley investors in late 2005, moved to San Francisco in early 2006, and rode the Web 2.0 wave to success. Last month they sold their 14-person company to eBay for $75 million.

Sega of America Inc. Sega Europe Ltd, and Edmonton-based BioWare Corp. on Thurs. announced a partnership to create a new role-playing game based on the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise for Nintendo Co.'s Nintendo DS handheld. The unnamed new offering is scheduled to debut in 2008.

This year, more then any other, has been the year of the digital media executive, and nextMEDIA - The Future of Digital Content, held June 8-10, in Banff was the place to be, scoring record delegate attendance from leading digital media executives from around the world. The sold-out, three-day event, which wrapped on Sunday with a fascinating question and answer session with BBC Director General Mark Thompson, attracted close to 350 attendees.

From CBC.ca:

Warning that Canada's new media creators are falling behind their counterparts around the globe, Heritage Minister Bev Oda pledged a $29-million renewal of the Canada New Media Fund on Sunday.

"The rate and speed in which Canadians are moving into the new era seems to be lagging behind those in some other countries," Oda said during her opening address for the Banff World Television Festival.

The Canadian Interactive Industry Profile (CIIP) 2006 reveals that Canada is poised to be a strong contributor to the growth of the global market for digital media products and services. The report, authored by PricewaterhouseCoopers, is the first national endeavour to determine the size and scope of the interactive media industry in Canada, executed by the Canadian Interactive Alliance (CIAIC), the collective national voice of Interactive Media trade associations.

Level Up is a new member-based group in Calgary focused on sharing new development techniques, distribution channels, technological advances, and artistic pursuits that relate to the field of video game development and publishing. The group has several events and initiatives planned including a monthly speakers series. For more information on Level Up, visit www.levelupsociety.com.

The Digital Media Association of Alberta (DMAA) announced its newly elected Board of Directors for the 2007-08 year: Ken Bautista, Hotrocket (President), Adam Jevne, Balance Media (Vice-President, Northern Alberta), Paul Poutanen, Cambrian House (Vice-President, Southern Alberta), Greg Gazin, Parallel2000 (Treasurer), Ron Thiele, XPAN Interactive (Secretary), Owen Brierley, New Globe Media, Leanne Elias, Alberta Association of Colleges & Technical Institutes, Cam Fraser, Sporkfancier Consulting, George Georgeadis, Dreamgazers Interactive, Chad Saunders, CJSR Radio, and Brian Traynor, Mount Roy

Investopedia, the Edmonton-based online resource for financial education, has just been acquired by Forbes Media for an undisclosed amount. Investopedia, founded in 1999, has grown to be one of the largest financial sites devoted for investor education. With over 15M page impressions, the site gets a good amount of traffic and provides a wealth of information regarding stock and market news, an online dictionary, free resources and tools, and even prep exams for accountants. Investopedia is a niche news site, but delivers pertinent information well.