Canuck

  Thursday, 26 May 2005

Exclusive: New national Wi-Fi network could threaten radio < 12:46:14 AM>.

Okay, now it’s getting serious.
Canada’s major cellular providers (competitors, remember) have just joined forces to create a single Wi-Fi network across the country. They plan to have more than 500 new hotspot locations.
This represents the broadest inter-carrier undertaking of its kind in North America, and allows for cross-Canada roaming between carrier-run hotspots under a common brand.
Bell Mobility, Fido, Rogers Wireless and TELUS Mobility are participating. Customers can charge Wi-Fi usage at any of the branded hotspots to their existing wireless carrier bills or a credit card.
[Via I Love Radio .org]

When Good Brands Go Bad, Part II < 12:25:01 AM>.

Hot on the heels of Blue Cross changing their name to Medavie, Radio Shack, here in Canada, is changing their name to "The Source by Circuit City." Details, such as they are, at radioshack.ca.

I don't care how much the sub-licensing fees from Radio Shack in the U.S. were, this doesn't make any sense at all to me, as Radio Shack has one of the strongest, most identifiable brands in the country, and the one most closely associated with its products niche. Somehow I can't imagine saying "I'm just going to go down to The Source by Circuit City to buy a capacitor."

The new website is at TheSourceCC.com, which is an equally dismal URL.

Here's some coverage of the insane change:

• Digital Home Canada
• Marketnews Canada
• Wikipedia

Fixin' what ain't broke.

< 12:21:50 AM>.

In parts of Nova Scotia, 248 millimetres of rain has fallen so far this month, more than double the monthly average

NDP may seek long-term deal with Grits < 12:13:53 AM>.


In exchange for a few concessions, the NDP would prop up the Liberal minority
[Via The Globe and Mail - National News]