Behold the latest commercial “There’s a soldier in all of us” for the new Call of Duty: Black Ops, one of the smartest advertisements for a video game to date. Even more so… I caught this little gem about 28 seconds in.

It is in fact a Blackberry Bold 9000, and our protagonist takes the Call of Duty.
You can view the full video on the official Call of Duty: Black Ops website.

Broke Radio Guy poses with "the animal" at his Toronto home. He is one of many Canadian men taking part in Movember

You may have noticed a lot more facial hair in Canada these past few weeks.  And no, it’s not because of the cooler temperatures.

Thousands of Canadian men have embraced Movember, growing and even naming their new face wares.  I have heard “Caterpillar”, “Handlebar Hank” “Flanders” and even I lovingly call mine “The Animal”.

They are doing this in the spirit of raising awareness and funds for Prostate Cancer.

The Movember race to grow a mustache and raise funds for Prostate Cancer, was started by a group of men in Australia 7 years ago.  Aussies have been winning the fundraising competition since… until this week.

Canadian Men (Mo-Bros) and their female counterparts (Mo-Sistas) have jumped into the lead having raised over 11 million dollars to date, surpassing Australia’s by 1 million.

A social media blitz is partially responsible for the increased awareness of Movember. You will find Facebook Pages in addition to posts on personal profiles.  Hash tag #Movember is one of the biggest trends right now on Twitter.  And of course there is always the official Youtube page featuring some brazen videos.

On the other hand, maybe it’s because nothing is bigger than a hockey mustache… and us Canadians know hockey.  Other professionals taking part include bankers, lawyers, accountants, police officers, firemen and even the occasional radio producer.

Way to go Canada.  Let’s lead the world this Movember.

You can make a donation to Broke Radio Guy’s personal Movember campaign or simply rate his MoSpace here:  http://ca.movember.com/mospace/566832/

Posted by via WordPress for BlackBerry.

The number jump seems insignificant and this could just be a bug update, but if you have been keeping track of the  application’s progress then you probably already know that they tend to make significant changes in some of these updates.

I will play with the app and see if there is anything new that I can find. Just check on this post and I will update it as soon as I find any new features.

WordPress for BlackBerry app allows you to write posts, upload audio, photos and videos, edit pages, manage comments, and track stats. Both WordPress.com and self-hosted WordPress (2.7 or higher) sites are supported.

Posted via WordPress for BlackBerry.

During a MIPCOM conference panel discussion, KISS frontman Gene Simmons said the RIAA’s lawsuit campaign was run by people without the “balls” to sue collegiate file-swappers, down to the very last freckle-faced malefactor. Only all-out legal warfare can save the music business. In case you have been living under a rock the RIAA “Recording Industry Association of America” (and Canada’s version is the CRIA) are basically the overlords of the recording industry. They represent everyone from artists to labels.  Over a three-year period, the RIAA spend $64M to retrieve $1.3M in lost revenue.

I agree their suing practices were ridiculous because they went after people just to make an example of them. Gene Simmons is right about one thing; you can’t win a lawsuit (much less a fundamental argument) against just a couple people for something almost everyone is doing.  According to Simmons everyone who downloads music illegally should be treated like a common criminal.

Having heard both sides of this argument for years, I do have some mixed feelings on the issue, however I have found that the only those who download music illegally have a problem with these lawsuits and the stance the RIAA was taking.

Admittedly the industry needs a huge overhaul. First, stronger protection methods. The RIAA will whine about peer-to-peer downloads but do almost nothing to protect the artists property. Anyone can rip any CD with a few simple clicks of a mouse. No passwords, or ownership confirmation. Most downloadable content is easy to share also. I wouldn’t leave my door open and unlocked while expecting not to get robbed. At the same time, once I buy a piece of furniture I don’t think its anyone’s business which room I put it in. Once those protection methods are put in place, we need better rights management. When I buy a song or album, as a consumer, it should be my choice how I play it as long as the device is mine (registered to me), and if I want to keep a copy on my iPod, PC, Playstation, Blackberry and any other device capable of playing it, well then I should be able to. The only stipulation is that it is only shared on my own personal network of devices preventing anyone else from using the file. Technology today allows for such protection mechanisms. Finally the music industry is slowly catching up with and improving distribution methods, and its a good thing iTunes helps to keep at least some people’s music library legitimate.

All those criticisms of the industry aside, downloading torrents and P2P sharing of someone else’ intellectual property is STEALING. And no, going to the library to borrow a book is NOT the same thing.  If you go to the library and borrow a CD which you listen to without copying for personal use, then bring it back to the library on time – that might be considered sharing. Downloading music files from Limewire for the purposes of  keeping on your computer or portable device, to play whenever you want, without ever paying for it, is simply theft. You are not just stealing from some big corporate label (does that make it right?). Some people worked hard to create the music and the sometimes not so talented musician, isn’t the only person affected.  Everyone needs to get paid. There are producers, audio engineers, writers, even the people that design the “album” covers. You are ripping all those people off. It’s the skilled techs behind the scenes that rarely get recognition even in a debate about who loses most when you are stealing music. On point, If radio stations (who do more than myspace/facebook/youtube combined to promote music) have to pay for usage rights… then so can everyone else.

I am glad to hear that RIAA has decide to no longer pursue lawsuits as a way of recovering lost revenue.  Seemed like a waste anyway. It is of my opinion that money can be better spent on finding ways to protect the works of others, with consumers’ rights in mind also.  The video-game industry has done a reasonably good job of distributing games digitally and still protecting both the creators and consumers.  I expect the music industry to catch up.  And ONLY then, those found to be breaking (or cracking) those protections with the intention of distributing or as the tree-huggers like to call it “sharing”, without prejudice, are to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.  Meanwhile, always keep a song in your heart… that one is free!

Users of  Tumblr can anticipate a much newer and improved experience via their mobile Android and iPhone devices. 

Tumblr founder David Karp speaks to our friends at Mashable, and describes the overhauled dashboard as “ truly the most beautiful and fun way to browse media on these devices”

All of Tumblr’s blog features including photos, galleries, links, audio, and video, are presented perfectly –- and Tumblr’s native features like reblogging, answer posts, replies, likes; will also be included.

Tumblr lets you effortlessly share anything. Post text, photos, quotes, links, music, and videos, from your browser, phone, desktop, email, or wherever you happen to be. You can customize everything, from colors, to your theme‘s HTML.

This update is not available for BlackBerry users yet.  I will wait… impatiently. In the meantime you can check out and follow my Tumblr page here.

Original post at Gadget North

courtesy Engadget

If there is anything I love more than my Blackberry, it’s probably my Playstation.  And if any mobile device could have me jumping platforms it would definitely be made under the Playstation brand.

I’ve always been curious about Android phones; but never enough to make the switch.  It is rumoured that the Sony made device will boast Android 3.0 as well as Sony marketplace for gaming needs.  The hardware doesn’t seem to shabby either.

The demo unit is sporting a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8655, 512MB of RAM, 1GB of ROM, and the screen seems to fall into the 4 inch range.  No confirmation on resolution yet.

Sony sticks with their iconic PSP shoulder buttons and what you see in the middle is a multi-touch pad for gaming as purported by our awesome friends at Engadget.  We are also told that there will be no memory stick slot, but instead support for MicroSD!

Sony has not confirmed the existence of this device but we all know in our hard-core gaming hearts, it is on the way. Click on the photo above for the entire gallery.

Interestingly this has turned into debate about healthy eating, and the part of corporations such as KFC is playing on our bad habits. I read a column by some Mark Morford, parts of which are being quoted on blogs and facebook posts everywhere. He makes good use of adjectives to describe the Double Down while ripping into a fictional KFC executive. I guess he doesn’t have the resources to interview the fry cooker much less a senior manager. He goes on to blame blame big bad KFC for coming up with another unhealthy food item, while the fast food corporations are “tricking” the stupid masses with clowns and other gimmicks. I am a little offended to say the least.

When are we going to start taking personal responsibility for our choices in life? The corporations are trying to make money. They are rich and want to get richer. They pacify our gluttony with tasty food, and they know it. That makes them guilty of nothing more than capitalism.

I remember growing up, visiting a fast food joint only twice a year. That was all my parents would allow; immigrants who had never seen a McDonald’s before coming to this country, knew that fast food was unhealthy and so eating at these places was an exception.  Mom would brown-bag a sandwich and some fruit for us to go to school with.  Even my parents went to work with a pail.

Today, eating on the run seems to be the rule. Everyone is too busy to buy groceries or make a home cooked meal for their family. Parents are giving their kids lunch money instead of packing something healthy for them. As adults we provide a fine example by eating this crap ourselves.  And then we blame the corporations for making us and our kids fat.  We have socialists like Morford telling us that the likes of KFC and McDonalds brainwashed us, and because of this, they should make healthy food (that probably no one would eat). Maybe it’s because I am Canadian, but I am just not that stupid and neither are any of the people around me. Lazy, but not stupid.

So I guess the question remains, are we unhealthy because the fast food joints are selling us unhealthy meals, or do they keep producing and selling unhealthy foods because that’s what we keep buying?  I will answer with this.  Everytime I go into McDonald’s and ask for their healthiest salad (Meditrannean with no chicken), there is never one available or ready.  I have to wait while they make it.  I ask the order taker why this always happens and the response is simply “We don’t sell many of them”.

It is up to us to vote with our dollar, and it seems that we have.  Whether it be out of laziness, or as Morford’s sensationalist post implies, our own stupidity, We keep buying this stuff.  If you want change… start eating at home.

photo credit: Matthew Dudman - AdThoughtz.com

If for some reason a subway (or any TTC vehicle) did not stop at a designated station/stop failing to pick up the one or two passengers waiting simply because they were staring down or away, the entire city would be up in arms. Radio stations would be having heated debates, newspapers writing, TV reporters chasing municipal administrators for comment.

It seems to me that leaving passengers stranded is becoming regular practice on Mississauga Transit. Drivers seem to think they have the authority to decide if a person at a designated waiting area (transit pole) is paying enough attention to warrant their stopping the vehicle and picking up the waiting passenger.

This has happened to me almost twice this week. The first time the bus I was waiting for was driving behind another, one of those super long doubles. Route 35 behind it was in the middle of the intersection across Clissold Road (just outside Islington subway station). Rather than waiting for the first bus to board, the driver of route 35 just drove around the bus in front, into the middle lane and kept going, leaving myself and another passenger. Neither of us realized we were supposed to run into the middle of the intersection to board the bus at the driver’s convenience.

On Thursday, a similar incident. At the same bus stop just outside Islington subway station, waiting on Mississauga route 35, I looked down at my Blackberry for a few seconds and as I looked up the bus was driving past me in the middle lane of the road. This time I was able to wave him down, and he pulled into the bus (right) lane. As I boarded the bus several meters past the designated stop, the driver decided to lecture me about not paying attention. I firmly stated that “It is [his] duty to stop at a bus stop with waiting passengers, and I shouldn’t have to do monkey tricks to get [his] attention”. He argued, but rather than engage him further, I asked for a transfer and sat down. Just a few short blocks later, again the bus not in a pick-up lane. In the right lane was a tractor trailer blocking the bus stop. A would-be passenger walked into the middle of the road about 5 meters past the bus stop, at a red light. He knocked on the door to get the drivers attention. The driver refused him entry, yelling through the closed door. I could hear the passenger screaming that the bus drove passed him while the truck was blocking, but that didn’t matter to the bus driver, and without any regard for the pedestrian’s safety the bus just drove away as the light turned green, leaving the guy standing in the middle of the road.

I am appalled! This transit system has to be one of the worst per-capita services in Ontario.  The city is has the sixth largest population in Canada, and its transit system resembles that of a small town.  Buses are always late, and if for some reason you miss a bus, there is the minimum half hour wait for the next one, no overnight buses. That is the weekday service! Good luck getting anywhere on a Sunday. Stretches of road that span multiple kilometres, in industrial areas that employ thousands, have no bus service at all (and in many cases not even a sidewalk). All this is bad enough, but then passengers are being handed a huge dis-service when bus drivers are picking and choosing when they stop depending on whether a waiting passenger is doing the adequate wave usually reserved for stadium cheering.

I cannot believe that I’m treated like a second class citizen because I choose to live my life without an automobile. In fact that was one of the reasons I moved out of Mississauga. I earn enough and will probably be forced into a buying vehicle for the purposes of commuting to work, but I can’t imagine what it is like for someone who has no choice but to use this horrible service, all the while being treated like sh!t by its front line officers (bus drivers).

For now I’ll spring for the GTA pass just so I can gain access to the Islington subway terminal and board the bus where (I’m hoping) it must stop without fail. Of course there’s always the chance the bus will take off a minute early, but that will be the passengers’ fault also because I should have been there five minutes before scheduled departure. I could rant for hours here. The lack of call stops, the ignorance passengers are met with when asking directions, and let’s not talk about the time a driver tried starting a fist fight with me, and I wasn’t even a passenger! (I won’t engage because in the eyes of the law I’d always be in the wrong).

In Toronto, we complain about the ticket takers asleep in the booth. Mississauga Transit administrators have been asleep for decades. Remember the Youtube video of the one TTC driver who took a coffee break? I know from experience this practice was once (and probably still is) rampant in Mississauga. Drive-thru coffee shops in that city should be adjusted to accommodate a bus. For that matter, equip them with bus stops, as the bus is more likely to stop there.

Thank you for the new fancy website with the mobile capability but if I happen to be checking the schedule on my device while waiting for a bus… that prick is driving right past me.

Posted by BrokeRadioGuy via WordPress for BlackBerry.

It is hump day on the second week since starting my new job. It’s not quite new to me. Planning for a trucking/transportation company has been my ‘plan b’ since my early twenties.

Accepting the position was a little bittersweet. I am relieved some of the financial woes of the past few months will soon be a distant memory. On the other hand, I really would have loved to turn the radio thing into a manageable income. A part of me knows that if not for the depression and emotional nuances that resulted from “the break-up” I probably would have been more aware of the opportunities in front of me. I am, admittedly, a much stronger person with a partner in my life, and if I may be so bold to suggest, she knew what she was doing to me when she left.

I haven’t thrown in the proverbial towel on my dreams just yet. I know I gave it all I had, under the circumstances, and I will continue to push for what I want. At the radio station, I’ve been able to wiggle my way into some more comfortable weekend day shifts. Usually I will be at the helm for live shows and meeting some of the people that matter in the biz, rather than just watching the re-run machine we call automation. In fact after almost two years, I was actually allowed to turn on the microphone on my side of the glass and even speak into it, as I was asked by the show host to contribute my opinion on a topic about… here it comes… you guessed  it – Blackberry smart phones.

Go figure, just as one foot was almost out the door, opportunity comes knocking.  Good thing thing I was still there to answer. There is a certain confidence that comes with being secure financially and it will make a difference as people will take notice of a stronger more assertive me.

Back to the new job in the trucking industry, the company politically resembles the last organization I worked for in this capacity. Training is going well, the supervisors like me, and are optimistic about my future with the company. There is even the cute female that some of the boys have a secret office crush on. The biggest challenge is the commute. If you follow my twitter you may have seen some of the rants about the long waits for the always late Mississauga Transit buses. I am sure the lack of infrastructure in that city will be the subject of a future story. The bright side is that this blog post is being written on my Blackberry during one of those long rides into work.

Much of this seems all too familiar and sometimes it’s like I am reliving the my past. The first few days felt odd, getting home to an empty apartment after an evening shift of dispatching. I was alone and almost expected ‘her’ to be here. But I persevere put the longing behind me, replacing it with thoughts of all the things I’m going to accomplish with the salary I am earning.  I do smirk at the idea that I will again soon be rewarding myself with toys, including a new mobile device (most likely a Blackberry Torch).

My challenge is remembering that this needs to be a temporary measure – a year maybe two – and without the financial stress I can spend my mental energy acquiring the more creative career I long for.  Then again, that was the plan seven years ago and everyone in my life knew that. Not sure why it was such a surprise when I kept my word.

Here we go again. I’ll keep you ‘posted’.

Posted via WordPress for BlackBerry.

Click to view slideshow.

It was a gorgeous morning as I left work, and rather than the usual subway from St. Clair, I decided to walk south down Yonge Street and would board the trains at Bloor for the eventual westbound trip.  I need the exercise anyway.

I always find something new on this trips. I know most of Toronto well, but I am still surprised by the little treasures that have slipped past my memory over the many years.  Today was the overpass at Rowanwood Avenue, which overlooks the TTC Subway tracks between Summerhill and Rosedale stations.  I stopped to take a few photos with my blackberry. Another lesson learned today. ALWAYS carry my SLR with me.  Not bad for a phone cam though.

I’ve arrived home, and it is almost sad that I need to get some sleep. I will try to make it a short nap so that I can enjoy the rest of this gorgeous day.  After all I did not get a weekend, much less a long one. Enjoy the photos.

As I boarded what was supposed to be the westbound train on the Bloor line at Yonge, I heard the announcement. “This train is being diverted to Museum station and then going out of service… We apologize for the inconvenience”.

It took some time but the train did make the southbound switch (turn) and proceeded through the lower Bay Station. We stayed in the station for a long time, but no matter how much I begged, the doors would not open. The blurry photos I managed to take with my Blackberry, unfortunately were snapped through dirty windows.

At Museum, the scene was crazy. The station was being treated as a transfer point for all passengers. Obviously not enough people were listening to John Moore on Friday morning as he made the announcement (and was as giddy about it as I).  Everyone seemed so surprised. We were instructed to get off the train on one side, cross the platform and wait for the train that would take us to destination. Guards were doing double duty, trying desperately to keep the crowds calm, in addition to using megaphones and signs to advise riders which way the next train was heading. As I mentioned, all trains for all directions were being boarded at the same side of the Museum platform. My westbound ride arrived, and soon headed towards St.George and onward to Islington.

I almost want to do it again.  I will post video if I do, but not today. After all I have all weekend… oh I almost forgot to mention -  regular subway service won’t resume until Tuesday morning.  Maybe I will just wait until another TIFF Event. Have a happy long weekend. Enjoy the slideshow.

Click to view slideshow.

Photo Credit: Matt Hamm

It was just supposed to attract a few old-timers, ignorant to the ways of the internet. I wanted to offer a service in which I could teach those who were nervous of social media, or unaware it even exists, how to use it and safely. This is something I had done free for many of my friends before. My phone rings off the hook every time twitter servers are at capacity, or facebook updates privacy settings (and new groups sprout up perpetuating the fear that Zuckerberg is selling your soul).

Several people told me “you’re good at this. You can make money. You have no idea how many people need your help”. I introduced facebook, twitter and a myriad of other networks to friends like Liz Rice an ambassador to environmentalists and vegans in Toronto, and showed her how to use these tools so that she could bring attention to her blog and events page. She would later offer inspiration, ideas, even references, stating she felt I had found my calling. As one popular Toronto blogger put it when referring to her passion for things interactive ”I like makey things on the internet”.

So I did it. This morning craigslist touted my ad. I used the words Social Media Expert (although some may argue the word expert is a stretch). Within minutes I had received an email from what seemed like a familiar address. I googled of course, to find it was an established Toronto blogger who’s name/blog shall remain anonymous until I get paid. The person emailing me played dumb, asked me questions about keyword optimization (you might need my help if you don’t know what that is) so I played along. After several emails I mentioned I knew who he was, and asked what he really wanted. It was exciting. I was playing in the big leagues now. He short interviews me on the phone for a position with something secret he was working on. I knew exactly what he was looking for, and as a content producer, with very little in the way of guidance, I would have blown him away.  Apparently, I am good, I think outside the usual box… But just not good enough. Where was I lacking? Not enough written product to back me up.

The irony in all this –  Just a little over a year ago, I was all over the internet, everything I posted was repeated in umpteen different places. I was doing at least a post per day at BlackberryUnderground, writing about everything exciting in the smartphone world; all the while keeping up with my own Tumblr, WordPress and Twitter.  I wasn’t trying too hard to top google search results, although I often even beat out musician/Drummer Tony Tedesco for top spot – maybe I should offer him my “expertise”.   Toronto Car Sharing service Autoshare still refers to me as a “prolific tech blogger“.

So what went wrong?  Laziness maybe, but mostly I became pre-occupied with my personal life or lack thereof.  I lost my full-time job and became concerned with what potential employers in a not-so-sensational industry would think of me if they found my blogs. And even with having toned it down I still have one heck of a presence on the internet.

I don’t think I have ever fully recovered from the falling out of a long-term relationship. Someone like me needs a cheerleader.  I have always felt that it is imparative to have a beauty at my side to bounce ideas off of, give me honest opinions, for a smile that inspires me, and someone to have adventures with, which I would write about later. I’ve always been at my best with a partner. Someone like Mina Stefan that I could take pictures of (I would have posted a photo of my gorgeous ex, but I am trying to avoid the restraining order, so Mina will have to do lol).

All that being said… it seems I have learned one heck of a lesson today. Rule number one about having a blog; Post Often if I want to be taken seriously. I never wanted to be one of those guys that posted shit about everything, but many will argue that I am interesting enough to have something to write about more than once a month.

This is probably the longest and most personal post I have ever written.  I will try not to bore you with this much reading in future posts.   Now if only I could find that Girlfriend Experience for inspiration .  Finally if much of what I wrote here today about social media is foreign to you, then you probably need some instruction. Feel free to send me a message.

Dude on the next floor smokes a lot of weed on the weekends. I notice when I open my windows to air the apartment out but instead I get second hand love from above. At first I get upset because I don’t smoke/toke… Then for some unknown reason I just say to heck with it.  I guess it is the price you pay for living in a high-rise.   I really don’t want to become “THAT” neighbour – you know the one that comes knocking because the they can hear you peeing and it disturbs them.  Heck, I would just go up and tell him to share, but I don’t want to turn into a burn-out, regardless of how attractive they are to some people.  Instead I’m just going to go get some pizza… I’ve got the munchies.

Click Image for full size

No it’s not Saturday. In fact this was taken exactly mid-week — around noon on a Wednesday. This is the Islington Subway Cordova Lot.

There was a time this lot was always full on weekdays. TTC metropass users were once able to park here for free and then use the subway for the remainder of their trip into the city for work.

Then something happened. David Miller and friends decided to revoke this privilege and force all users to pay $5.00 daily to park here (and at any TTC lot).

And so it seems those that once parked here, got back into their cars and started driving to work in the city. They don’t use the TTC anymore, they don’t buy a metropass and this lot still needs to be maintained.

The most important part of Transit City’s plan is to get people to use the system! It’s time to re-think this parking lot concept. I suggest having two versions of the metropass, one with and one without parking inclusive. Charge a nominal amount such as an extra $25 for a pass programmed to let users into a TTC parking (not the absurd $5 dollars a day).

I am certain this is not the only lot affected. Feel free to send photos of an empty TTC lot near you!

Post your ideas on improving this situation! I especially want to hear from the city council and mayoral candidates on this one! What do you think?

The CRTC ruled Monday on the so-called TV tax or fee for carriage, a cost that cable companies have said could add $10 a month to consumers’ bills.   The Commission has set out a market-based solution to allow private local television stations to negotiate with cable and satellite companies. Each television station would have the option of entering into negotiations to establish a fair value for the distribution of their programs. Of course the always passive-agressive CRTC has left the final decision for the courts.  God forbid they take responsibility for making telecom in this country more expensive for the consumer.  In a year, they will be blaming the courts for making it legal.

From a consumer perspective, I have no problem with the idea of local tv trying to become profitable by negotiating with the cable company. After all the cable companies charge consumers to bring it into their homes and it is only fair the broadcasters get a piece of  that pie.

I already pay for local programming. Basic cable or satellite services – channels 2-30 for most consumers in Canada – already cost us $30-$35 per month.  The providers say that this is to help pay for the infrastructure.  I thought that was what the extra fees were for (Digital Services fee $3.99 on Rogers). 

If you check the CRTC website you will find this article which describes how “The Local Programming Improvement Fund (LPIF)” requires the cable company to add a 1.5% service fee.   This new percent based fee is suppose to help “local” programming stay alive in markets that have less than 1 million viewers. Like most consumers I almost forgot about the letter I received from Rogers back in July of last year, explaining how they were going to bend me over the barrel again.   We get letters like that so often I think most of us have become impassive about them.

When this issue is brought into the courts, it is my hope that the consumer protection becomes a priority. 

In that spirit of capitalism the courts should allow for the negotiations to begin. There should be however a ruling which limits the amount the cable/satellite companies can pass on to the consumer.  And finally consumers must be allowed to opt out of the basic cable option.  If I want to use an antenna for local programming, and only pay my provider for HBO and a movie package, then I should be allowed to do so. 

I am certain that both the broadcasters and providers will bargain in a more benevolent fashion if they felt that the final choice to pay for their services was in the hands of the consumer.

Mayoral Candidate (still unannounced) demonstrates all the extra freebies that Toronto city councillors get. Above and beyond their 100k salary and the 53k expense account, perks include everything from parking passes, ttc passes, golf passes and free entry into many of Toronto’s venues, apparently costing Toronto taxpayers millions.

Now that’s a lot of money.  I don’t disagree with all the perks.  However I do think they should be better administrated.  For instance how does a councillor get both a parking pass and a TTC pass?  There are only 44 councillors.  How hard can it be to ask each of them what their preference is?  Some councillors would have a preference for a TTC pass, others who drive might want the parking pass.  After all I would hope these councillors actually do Ward visits, so I can see why work related travel would be supplemented. 

Zoo Passses? Are these councillors visiting family members there? 

Golf Passes? Ridiculous. The only reason I can think of for this is to take lobbyists out on the golf course while they discuss the purchase of trains, or the contracting of services… and even in that case, I would hope that the company looking to score the contract picks up the tab.  That’s how it works in most business’

How about a system where these things are looked at on a case by case basis.  A councillor with a portfolio of some kind may have a need for a particular supplementary. (ie anyone in charge of heritage in this city, would be eligable for passes to Casa Loma in order to bring visitors, or attend special events promoting  the preservation of Toronto’s legacy buildings. I know it’s a lame example but the only one I could think of at the moment.

Mr. Ford is correct… there seems to be a lot of waste at city hall.  I expect him to run on that platform of cleaning up. His campaign prop might just be a broom…err maybe a garbage bag.  I will be paying attention to Mr. Ford in hopes that he also intends to tackle the excess expenditures paid to some of our beloved (sleeping/breaking) municipal employees.

Courtesy CTV.ca

In a recent story mayoral candidate Sarah Thompson has boldly declared she wants a road toll on the Don Valley Parkway and the Gardiner Expressway to pay for a significantly expanded subway system.

Well everyone in Toronto is up in arms about this whole idea.  They seem to think it is another attack on their beloved car. And maybe their initial reactions are garnered.

I tend to agree with the proposal but not for the reasons outlined.  I think that if Ms. Thompson spun her proposal just a little, she may get a lot more support from Torontonians.

I have been talking about this for years, even though I am more of a conservative thinker. In my opinion, many people from the 905 and outside the GTA use these expressways to come into Toronto for work.  This includes many of the unionized municipal workers (TTC and Garbage Collectors) who’s inflated salaries Torontonians pay. These people  then return to their homes in Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville or Milton or some other municipality to which they pay taxes. I am of the opinion that if you work and earn a living in this city, you should leave some of the money here.  If they want to use our roads to get to work they should pay for it.  If they left their car at home and used the transit system, they would be contributing to the city with their fare purchase.

It seems like a no brainer to me.  Work in Toronto, pay in Toronto.  It’s a road tax, not a road toll.

Thanks to a twitter tip, I got the goods on the new Facebook for Blackberry update. Version 1.7 is now available in Blackberry App World or by pointing your blackberry browser to Blackberry.com/facebook
I have had a few minutes to check it out and some nice surprises.

News Feed Filters – a dropdown menu the to toggle between News Feed, Status Updates, Photos & Links. You have the ability to comment and like items in the feed.

New Menu Option to View My Profile. Unfortunately you still have to open facebook in the browser for the option to delete something from your wall.

Additionally the application is a little faster due to better caching as well as pre-fetching of feeds so that the user does not need to wait for feeds to be updated.

Still missing is the chat feature.

Continuing on their efforts to make Viigo the best and your favourite news reader, Viigo has released an all important update. Version 3.1.486 became available this morning. You can get it at getviigo.com

This update has a few new features but concentrates mostly on improving performance, memory consumption, data usage, battery life.

For full description of all the features on this update visit Viigo website.

Remember to uninstall any current versions of the application from your blackberry before installing the latest version.

Mobile users favourite browser has just received a huge update. Version 5 of Opera Mini is now in beta and available for download.

The browser is now more intuitive and much easier to use, and aside from a super increase in speed Opera has incorporated some much anticipated features.

Tabs
With tabbed browsing, you no longer need to interrupt one session to start another. Use your Web mail in one window, Facebook in another, Twitter in a third and all that while checking the latest sports results. With Opera Mini, you can easily identify the different tabs and jump between them.

Password Manager
No more hassle with those hard-to-enter usernames and passwords. Opera Mini 5 will remember your credentials, and you can log on to your favorite Web sites with just a single click. The passwords are stored on your phone for your convenience.

Speed Dial
Get your favorite Web page with just one click. Speed Dial is a set of visual bookmarks you see when you open a new tab, like a dashboard for your on-line life. To add a new page, simply click on an empty Speed Dial slot, and Opera will make suggestions based on your browsing history and bookmarks.

Touch & Keypad
The user interface has been designed for both touchscreen- and keypad-style mobile phones. With a touchscreen, you can enjoy even easier navigation with our new zooming and kinetic scrolling.

There is much more to know about Opera Mini 5, and you can find out more by going to their website.

Download Opera Mini 5 Beta from your mobile browser to try it for yourself.

Facebook lite is now available to current facebook subscribers in North America, India and the UK. The stripped down version offers a much cleaner interface a la 2006 style social network.

I really don’t give two cents what your virtual mafia war crime boss is doing and I’ve become a little weary of farm animals on my news feed (although the black sheep is cute). Kiss me all you want in YOUville… I’m just not feeling the love! My facebook homepage consists of watching friends giving each other psuedo-drinks and digital food (bits & bytes if you will). I was really more interested in keeping up with what friends were doing in real life which is why I joined facebook in the first place. What happened to meeting on facebook to discuss plans for a real event?

The good news for people like me is that it seems that facebook lite appears to be much cleaner and simpler. It seems to be a better site for Facebook newbies or for anyone who finds the current site overwhelming or noisy, remaining app free.

The profile page is simple with a side menu of tabs where you can find a collapsed version of info, friends and photos widgets.  On the wall you will find some recent news, but little source info.  A simple post interface allows visitors to write on the profile wall.  

The homepage is much lighter, there is little in the way of suggestions, highlights and requests unlike the original facebook, but you can see new friend requests much clearly. 

Facebook lite is not complete. There are still settings pages under construction but I am sure they are working as hard and fast as possible to complete this project (considering how well received this has been). No worries about security, as the privacy settings are still controlled and stay true to those set on regular facebook. So far no glitches or holes to be found (and you know a nerd like me was looking)

The photos below include a couple screen shots of the Lite version of our favourite social space, and also a shot of regular facebook to which you can compare. Really though, why fake it by just looking at my blog… go see for yourself by signing into your profile at the new http://lite.facebook.com

GymTechnik is a revolutionary new platform that allows you to access your workouts through the web or your smartphone.

Setup workouts online and later access them while at the gym by pointing  the smartphone  browser to m.gymtechnik.com.  Users can also track and modify progress through the calendar here directly on the web.

The great folks at Gymtechnik are giving a free trial of Premium membership to current members.
This upgrade is automatic so all you have to do is just sign in, and continue using GymTechnik as normal and you will see all the new changes.

A list of the Premium Features included follow.

Schedule Future workouts
Need to plan out a routine? Use the Online workout calendar and schedule your workouts in advance. When you hit the gym, use Gym Technik Mobile on your Smartphone and pick up those scheduled workouts.

Track Multiple Workouts A Day
The most requested feature to date! Now you can start and track more than one workout per day. Have your workouts broken down by body part, or perform an AM/PM two-a-day workout plan? You can now track more than one workout on the same day.

No More Basic Limits
You can now leverage the full power of Gym Technik. You can now have more than 20 workouts in your library. Each workout can contain more than 20 exercises, and you configure more than 40 custom exercises to suit your personal fitness routine.

Enhanced Graphing
Slice, dice and analyze your performance. A Premium account allows you to analyze load graphs so you know how much total weight you are pushing per exercise, graph by workout so you know which exercises performed are beginning to plateau, and compare multiple exercises against each other.

Body Composition
Start tracking your body size metrics like your arm size, shoulder size, etc. Visualize your progress by tracking then graphing these metrics to see how far you have come.

Adding Cardio Directly to Your Calendar
Mixing cardio with your weight training to get ripped? Add cardio activities directly to your calendar using your Premium account.

Workout Instructions
You can now enter notes for each of your workouts to remind yourself for specifics on how much rest to take in between sets or the types of stretches you need to do before you begin the workout. This feature is available to all Basic members too!

Having used the service I think Gymtechnik is one of the best online and mobile fitness tracking systems available and it has only been possible due to the great ideas provided by its members.

Check it out now by going to their website at http://www.gymtechnik.com

Just a quick update… Beta version 0.9.0.140 has just been released with several bug fixes. In addition we’ve been told to expect support for BIS soon! This news comes to GearJunky courtesy of the foremost Blackberry Social site Blackberry Underground.

WordPress has created a Blackberry application for on the go publishing. I am testing out this 5th installment of the beta 0.9.0.134 on this first post. So far my findings are impressive.  More screenshots follow!

Set up of your blog(s) is easy. If you have multiple blogs under one username, the set-up process will find all those blogs and list them for you.

So far posting seems like a breeze, with the option to add photos and tags to all your posts. There are several menu options including the ability to save drafts or publish immediately. You can even preview your post before publishing.  In my case however the preview was a simplified text version as the theme for this ‘blog could not be retrieved’. This could be a due to a setting I need to tweak within the application itself.

I am still playing with options and looking for a few features such as a more tag, and images simply fall to the bottom of a post.  However this is definitely a great start, and will definitely do the job of posting on the go.  With this kind of mobility GearJunky as well as my personal blog could actually be resurrected!

Users can log in with their member number and password, then choose to view any new messages or reserve a vehicle. The reservation system will default to your favourite vehicle(s) – previously specified on PC during the account set-up process. How?

Users/Members have several options when reserving a vehicle including the choosing of a specific type of vehicle. Say you need a van. Click on “Select Vehicle Type” and user is directed to a list of vehicles. Then check off Cargo Van, then click Select and Search tab at the bottom of the screen. The results will show you where all the available vans are. Additionally members can select to reserve a vehicle based on the amenities it has. You can choose a vehicle that allows pets, for instance, if you happen to be travelling with your dog. Be sure to browse the reservation system for all options.

The best feature of all, has to be the ability to search for a vehicle close to your location. You don’t know how many times I’ve been in the middle of the city and suddenly needed a vehicle. Being an autoshare member with access to their mobile reservation website now makes it easy. From a Blackberry or smartphone device the user can search for the closest (available) vehicle by entering a location – address or crossroads – and the system will provide a list of vehicles closest to that location. Clicking on a listed vehicle will direct you to a page which provides information about the vehicle (type, amenities, restrictions) as well as a Google Map of it’s location.

Once the user has chosen a vehicle it is simply a matter of choosing a start date/time and a return date/time. Then a simple few clicks later the reservation is made, provided the vehicle is available for the entire duration you chose.

Business and consumer members of autoshare can now plan meetings or events on the go, and quickly check/reserve an available vehicle to transport them without having to be tied down to a PC. The user also has the option of going back and viewing furture reservations details at a later time.

Autoshare members can set-up in advance some preferences such as email or sms confirmations of reservations as well as the new integration with google calendar so that you can view advance reservations on your Blackberry Calendar after a sync (my favourite feature yet).

Current members of the Toronto car-sharing service are already familiar with the PC reservations system, but this is a very big step in the right direction. I am confident that the company will see an increase in reservations by their current memberships alone, just based on the ease and availability of a mobile web application. Below are some screenshots of the system. Click on the thumbnail for full-size!

If you are already a member use your smartphone browser to connect to toronto.autoshare.net/m

About Autoshare:

AutoShare members get 24-hour, self-serve access to clean, modern cars and vans – at over 100 locations across the city – without the hassles, costs and headaches of ownership. Rent by the hour, when you need to. AutoShare is also great for companies, NGO’s and Government departments that need cars and minivans – and want to save money. Toronto’s favourite car alternative, since 1998.

100% Canadian & locally-owned.