Free WiFi in Yonge-Dundas Square
I’ve written a brief update on the free WiFi scene in Toronto over at Torontoist. Also, I’m writing for Torontoist! (Profile to be updated shortly)
Archive for July, 2006
Toronto ARG
Now here’s something that should tickle my co-writers’s fancy. ARGN recently brought to my attention a new, Toronto-based ARG. TorGame is presenting a new ARG type experience that will take place for two weeks in September called “Waking City”.
The official website gives this description:
“…We combine the story-driven mystery of alternate reality games, the frenetic intensity of puzzle hunts, and the passion for public spaces of urban gaming. We love this city, and we want to celebrate it with you in a fresh and fun way. This is a game that will get you out exploring, seeing parts of Toronto you’ve never seen before, and making you see even your own neighbourhood in a new light.”
There are a couple differences to Waking City from regular ARGs. First of all, it is required that participants live in, or near Toronto. Second, players are required to group themselves into teams of 5-10 people prior to the games beginning. Third, teams are required (I’m liking that word today) to pay a fee ranging from $100-$125 in order to pay for the production costs.
Should be an exciting event. I know a certain online newspaper that should write an article about it in order to grab more Toronto-ists (or is it Toronto-ites?) attention. Now get some friends together and create a team!
Wii Release Date Semi-Announced
Nintendo released a cryptic press release hinting at the date the Wii will become available. Gaming Target deduces that the system will be released on October 2nd, 2006.
Free Activities Follow-Up
We’ve brought you a week full of things to do for free in Toronto before. Beth Mather has compiled a much more extensive list of free (or at least cheap) activities. They’re even grouped into categories for your browsing pleasure.
Another show revived by the Internet?
Slashdot has a story about a sitcom pilot for the WB that was not picked up but released on YouTube. It became failry popular, and is now being put back into development by NBC. It’s a sitcom about making a sitcom, and looks like a pretty standard (read: not funny) fare, but the path to production is certainly interesting. Will YouTube be the new proving ground for television pilots?
Is LaszloMail the future of Email?
Sarah Allen reflects on some recent developments in Email that have become a must for her. I’ve recently purchased a MacBook, and I’ve found the integration between Mail, Address Book and Adium has been very useful. We’ve looked into email before.
Ice Cream Funeral
There’s an article at the New York Times about another industry that’s being forced to offer choices to the baby boomer demographic. Funerals. In the picture above, Harry Ewell had an ice cream truck in the cemetary.
The Long Tail
Chris Anderson has released a chapter from his upcoming book, The Long Tail, in a recent issue of Wired magazine. He argues that the era of the cultural mainstream and megahits is now over, to be replaced with many smaller works. (Wikipedia has lots of good starting points on the idea)
The Future of Email
Slashdot picked up a blog post by Gabor Cselle about some recent developments of email software. What new ideas would you like to see in your email?
Fringe - Scratch
I watched a couple of shows at the Toronto Fringe Festival, and I really enjoyed the imrpov in Scratch. (See mini-reviews and showtimes in Eye and NOW.)
For the performance, the audience provides a loose structure and theme. Arlen Konopaki and Kevin Gillese generate an assortment of characters into a fractured Hollywood plot. They then mix in lots of physical comedy, a few puns and hilariously awkward situations. The duo keep the juices flowing by inserting flashes to previous moments, and they were often trying to outdo each other in their outlandish ideas. In the final scenes, when all of the plots get mashed up together, the entire audience was laughing after almost every line.
The Fringe Festival continues for another week, and shows are only $10.
