Halifax C@P News & Updates

I have forwarded a few interesting emails to the list today. I hope you enjoy the content. 

WEBSITE

We now have a dynamic website.  Content is added daily.  You can keep up on all our website additions by subscribing to the RSS Feed (learn more) or adding our Widget (learn more) to your own website or desktop.Visitors can now post comments and interact with the website.   All project reporting going forward will be done on a weekly basis in the form of blogging (learn more)  on our website. This will include all summer students in the 2009 internship program (which will focus on the advent of social media on society).

REPORTING

Annual reporting is due March 21^st.   Everyone has been emailed the direct link for online forms. If you can’t find it, just email us and we’ll send you the link again. Don’t spend too much time on forms. Be honest, in a few sentences; tell us about your successes, challenges, disappointments and aspirations. We enjoy receiving photos of your C@P site and activities.

Reporters Sans Frontieres Video Conference

We had a great event yesterday. Kat Borlongan, Managing Director of Reporters Sans Frontieres Canada to mark Online Free Expression Day. About a dozen people gathered at the Hub, our new office location, for this conversation with Katherine.We’ve added photos and resources from the event on our website http://hrca.ns.ca  

This was a great test of many technology platforms we are currently researching – specially telepresence and videoconferencing.One of the attendees, mobile software developer Dale Zak, wrote a great article on the event.

Read Dale’s review here:  http://www.dalezak.ca/2009/03/march-12th-is-online-free-expression.html

United Way Social Media Brainstorm

I had a great opportunity to spend the day on Wednesday with the staff at United Way, brainstorming ideas of how to best use social media to flourish your business or cause on the internet. Along with other agencies represented, we discussed the importance of personal incidental use of the internet in the workplace, and how to use Facebook, Twitter, and a variety of others, in the context of day to day work. We examined their website and put forward ideas on how to make it more dynamic. Kudos to the management of the United Way for having the foresight to include these new technologies in their daily operation

Linux Migration

We’ve been quiet about this, but the research conducted through the winter is nearly done. Our consultants, Stephen Kelly and Jason Bunguay have both been working on different angles of this. Stephen has been researching small linux computers. We received two Linutops but quickly realized these are a little slow for what we want to do, but still an interesting computer. One Linutop is currently in use at Terence Bay, where Jason is working on a Firefox Plugin that would take the place of Tracker on non-Windows machines.   Our end result is anticipated within a few weeks: a small, Linux computer, with no moving parts, no local storage, and a reset button, all under 250$ per unit.  Some photos are already up in our Facebook Group “Innovations in Community Access Programs”. The project photos on Facebook actually caught the attention of the Asus company and they have contacted us through Facebook.  They are following our project closely.  Ryan Deschamps and Luke Jefferies have also been using Asus netbooks and I will poll them for feedback as part of the project report. Photos and research progress will be posted on the website as soon as they become available.   Ryan has also been testing the 3M mPro 110 LED projector, a small, affordable projector, though it does have its limitations. We are still waiting for another device called Frogpad, a one-handed keyboard intended for use by folks having lost the use of one arm or struggling with hand and wrist strains. Currently it’s backordered for another month, but when we receive it pictures and reviews will be posted as soon as possible.

Talking C@P - Nova Scotia C@P Newsletter

Without further ado, here is the communication committee's first NSC@P Newsletter "Thinking C@P/ Pensons PAC" !! February 2009 Issue. We encourage you to send this down your line of those affiliated with C@P, especially your partners and C@P Sites!

Broadband in HRM

Kathleen Farrell, which many of you may remember from working with C@P at the provincial level, has asked us to distribute this request from Omniglobe to Halifax Regional Municipality Residents.

Do you have high-speed Internet access? If high-speed isn’t available to your home or business in rural HRM,  OmniGlobe Broadband wants to know.  They are beginning construction to cover all un-served areas of HRM and are double-checking to make sure that your area is on the 'to do' list. All you need to do is give them your civic address before March 27, 2009.

OmniGlobe Broadband

Tel: 1 888 365 6664        toll-free

E-mail: info@omniglobebroadband.com

Website: www.omniglobebroadband.com