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BRITISH COLUMBIA TO TEST VIRTUAL ID CARD
Source: CBC News
British Columbia will test a virtual ID "card" that enables citizens to connect with the government's online services more safely and easily, a top technology official said.
The government plans to begin tests on an "information card" early in the new year, said Ian Bailey, director of application architecture for the province's Office of the Chief Information Officer.
The cards are in the early stages, and "there's going to be some challenges," Bailey said.
An information card is not a card at all: it's more like a document delivered to users' computers which they can then use to access government websites.
It's meant to replace the current method of access, which involves logging on to a site with a name and password, and has a digital signature that can't be changed or reproduced, Bailey said.
"It will give us better privacy protection for individuals," he said.
Among other attributes, Bailey said using an information card means:
- The government won't know which sites the user visits.
- The user is in control of shared information.
- The cards won't have to reveal users' birthdates or addresses, or a student's school. Instead, it could simply confirm the user is over 19, a B.C. resident or a student.
He compared using the card to using a driver's licence for identification since, in both cases, the government does not know what the citizen is doing.
"Ontario privacy commissioner likes cards"
Ann Cavoukian, Ontario's privacy Commissioner, said information cards have "several key advantages" over username/password systems.
She outlined the benefits in a white paper about identity metasystems - a means of ensuring users can easily access all their online identities, such as an information card - on her website.
The paper said information cards mean:
- The end of stolen, lost or forgotten passwords.
- Less "phishing," when a password is stolen by an unauthorized user, because authentication used by one site is useless for another, even for the same information card.
- Less storage of sensitive information, because the cards can resend it every time they are used, so the accessed site doesn't need to retain it.
But Cavoukian also warned that a universal identity metasystem could be misused and "become an infrastructure of universal surveillance."
Seven laws of identity
The Seven Laws of Identity, developed by Microsoft's chief identity architect Kim Cameron and other privacy experts is at the base of B.C.'s trial. The laws outline ways in which online retailers, banks and other organizations can enhance privacy in the next generation of internet identifiers, such as the information card.
B.C. will offer the ID card first to residents who already have government issued passwords for accessing certain sites, Bailey said.
The project includes identity companies CA Inc. (formerly Computer Associates), Microsoft and Sxip. For more informative Technology & Science news visit CBC News web site. |
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Source: CBC News Click here to visit. |
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And the Winner is....
Our winner of the BC Lions tickets for participating in our newsletter readers survey is:
JOANN RAE
Congratulations Joann - enjoy the game!
We would like to thank all our readers that participated in our Readers Survey. Your responses and suggestions were excellent and we appreciate the input. Here's a sampling of the results we received in percentages based on the total number of respondants:
Are you male or female?
48.75% Male and 51.25% female
How often do you read our newsletter?
Every Month: 58.23%; Every Second Month: 3.8%; Almost Every Month: 21.52%; Occasionally: 11.39%; Never Read it: 5.06%
Do you find our newsletter informative or useful?
Always: 45.5% Occasionally: 50.65% Rarely: 0%; Never 3.9%;
How would you describe the length or size of our Newsletter?
Too Big: 12.16%; Just Right: 78.38%; Too Small: 1.35%; Don't Care: 8.11%
What sections of our newsletter do you enjoy reading?
Main Articles: 16.07%; Handy Computer Tips: 18.69%; Recycling Tips: 8.85%; Innovation News: 10.49%; Service Overview: 3.93%; Virus Threats: 12.46%; Referral Program: 3.93%; Specials: 7.21%; Events Around Town: 14.10%; Testimonials: 2.62%; Mac Corner: 1.64%
What type of articles would you like to see in the future?
You all really sharpened your pencils for this one as we got a great variety of answers to this question. Many of you enjoy what we are doing and want us to continue along the same lines. Some of you would like to see us expand some of our sections to include more tip and tricks on a greater variety of software, more tech related articles including hardware/software reviews, more on Vista and emerging technologies, as well as new business/technical events from around the world. Many of you would like to see our main monthly articles expanded to include more topics on a greater variety of subjects from healthcare to sponsorship. You would also like to see more articles and tips on backup and security, handling email & computer maintenance, new tech toys and gadgets and the future of the internet... etc, the list goes on.
In closing we appreciate all of your input and will be working hard in the upcoming months to provide you with the type of articles and information you want to see. In the meantime, please feel free to drop us a line with your comments and or suggestion, we want to hear from you. Thanks again for your participation and subscribing to our newsletter.
The Staff at Innovation Networks.
From the Innovation Tech Bench - Quick Tips
Do you want to know how much space your Exchange mailbox is consuming?
Over the last few years, hard drives have become bigger, cheaper and faster and I'm sure more than a few of us have fallen into "I'll never fill this hard drive" syndrome. When the warning messages appear for low storage space, many of us overlook our email boxes and head directly for our document files. With more & more business being done via email, the volume can add up quickly. A text email message itself is not very big but when you add an attachment or two, the size can grow exponentally. For those of you operating under Exchange, here is how to find out how much space your mailbox is actually consuming.
1. Open Outlook and "Right click on your mailbox
2. Create the properties item in the pop up menu.
3. Click the folder size button
The folder size indicates the entire size of your folder, and also provides a list to tell you which sub folders are consuming space. This will allow you to quickly target your clean up efforts to get rid of unnecessary email.
Quick tip by: Gordon McDonald |
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 NATIONAL WASTE REDUCTION WEEK 2007 - HELP REDUCE WASTE ACROSS CANADA! OCTOBER 15th - 21st.
This month, instead of tips, we thought we would draw your attention to the upcoming "National Waste Reduction Week 2007". (source: Recycling Council of BC)
There's no time to waste! National Waste Reduction Week (WRW) 2007 is fast approaching. Mark your calendars for October 15-21, 2007!
This week provides an excellent opportunity to encourage waste reduction within your respective organizations and communities.
The Recycling Council of BC (RCBC) and the National Waste Reduction Week Committee aim to educate, engage and empower the public. The theme of Waste Reduction Week, ‘Too Good to Waste’, is meant to draw attention to the richness and diversity of the natural world and the importance of working towards ecological sustainability through waste avoidance and resource conservation.
In honour of WRW 2007, RCBC will be hosting a launch event and a speaker series for businesses and schools throughout the Lower Mainland. For more information and details on RCBC’s program of events remember to check our website often!
To register for WRW, and to obtain posters, postcards and additional resource material please contact Maya Credico at maya@rcbc.bc.ca.
We’d like to hear about your ideas and initiatives! If you have any special events planned in your community, let us know! RCBC would be happy to publicize these events to our members.
For more information visit the Recycling Council of BC or the Waste Reduction Week in Canada web site.
B.C.'s Waste-o-Meter is Ticking!
The Waste-O-Meter is a gauge that shows how much waste goes into BC’s landfills through the Municipal Solid Waste System. You can check out the Waste-o-Meter at the Recycling Council of British Columbia web site and watch how fast it grows. |
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THIS MONTH'S RECOMMENDATION: HP COMPAQ 6510B NOTEBOOK PC
 HP Compaq 6510b Notebook PC with Genuine Windows Vista Business 32/64 bit Intel Core 2 Duo 2.0Ghz and 2GB RAM, 160GB Hard Drive, DVD+\-RW Dual Layer, 14.1 TFT Screen and HP's 3 Year Warranty.
HP is a solid brand and has been for many years, Thin, lightweight design starting at 5.0 lb (2.27 kg) and 1.33-inch/33.8 mm thin at front, Security features including Drive Encryption for HP ProtectTools, HP Fingerprint Sensor, TPM 1.2.
I highly recommend HP laptops...I have had great experiences with notebooks from HP for many years.
Daryl Seed - Technical Service Manager
OUR PRICE:
*Installation and Setup are not included. Innovation Networks can provide you with an estimate depending on the platform and options you choose to implement. Call us today for more details.
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TIPS & TRICKS FOR MS WORD
TURNING OFF AUTOMATIC URLS:
If you've ever inserted a web address or email address into your word documents, you'll notice that they automatically become live. If this is your intention, then that's great. But if you don't want this to happen then this is how to turn them off.
1. Choose AutoCorrect (or AutoCorrect Options) from the Tools menu;
2. Click on the AutoFormat As You Type tab;
3. Under Replace As You Type, clear the Internet and network paths with hyperlink check box.
If you didn't turn off AutoCorrect before you started typing and now you have a document full of hyperlinks that you don't want, you can turn them off, either one at a time, or all at once. To turn a link off, right-click on the link, select Hyperlink from the pop-up menu, and then select Remove Hyperlink. To remove all links from the document, choose Select All from the Edit menu or press Ctrl+A, and then press Ctrl+6 to remove all hyperlinks.
HOW YOU CAN FIND OUT WHAT ALL THOSE BUTTONS ON THE TOOLBARS DO:
Ever wonder what all those buttons on your toolbars do but been too afraid you'll break something? Here's the easy way!
Choose 'What's This?' from the Help menu. The mouse pointer will turn into a pointer with a "?" symbol. Click on any button (or any other element or object on the screen) and Word will give you some information. Also, Shift+F1 will turn on the What's This? feature. Before you know it you'll look like a Pro!
CHANGING THE DEFAULT FOLDER FOR OPENING AND SAVING DOCUMENTS:
1. Choose Options from the Tools menu.
2. Click on the File Locations tab.
3. Click on Documents under File Types.
4. Click on the Modify button.
5. Use the Look in list to locate the folder you want to use from now on.
6. Click on the folder name, then click on OK to select that location.
7. Click on OK. |
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“A number of years ago, we made a decision to purchase computer systems, components and peripherals from Innovation Networks. We have found to be very receptive to our needs as a public school district with regards to pricing and after sales service. Their staff is friendly and competent.”
School District No. 40
Board of School Trustees. |
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Innovation Networks is here to help you, we are focused on providing an industry leading Service and Support program for all your company´s computer needs.
 Innovation Networks has been the recipient of the Consumers´ Choice Award for Business Excellence for 6 years in a row: 2001–2006.
Providing full service computer support for companies across Canada for the past 10 years, we are a full technology solution offering quality service and experience in corporate environments.
Here is a list of services we offer:
• Onsite on Demand Computer and Networks Services
• Real-time UpTime Network Monitoring and Management
• UpTime Onsite/Off-site Backup and Disaster Recovery Services
• Urban Mail - Email Marketing, Antispam and Antivirus Email Management
• Hardware, Software, and Accessory Sales, Cabling, Printer Maintenance
• Perl/PHP/Other Software Development and Customization Services
• Dual Platform Web Hosting, Domain Services, Security Certificates
• Web, Graphic, Ezine Marketing, Web Design and Management Services
• Online Forms, Image Verification, Form Validation Search Engine Optimization
For more details call us at 604 - 275 - 5100 and visit us at: www.innovationnetworks.com |
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VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
The Vancouver International Film Festival presents 300 films from 50 countries making it one of the largest film festivals in North America.
When: September 27th to October 12th, 2007.
Where: Granville Theatre and various other venues around Vancouver.
For more information visit the web site.
VSO SPECIAL: CLASSICAL MYSTERY TOUR - THE MUSIC OF THE BEATLES
The music of the Beatles like you’ve never heard it before! Classical Mystery Tour brings together the music of one of the greatest bands of all time with the unmatchable sounds of a live symphony orchestra. Classical Mystery Tour's own Fab Four will transport you to the exciting heyday of rock 'n' roll with thirty classic Beatles tunes played just like Paul, John, George and Ringo. Roll up for the Mystery Tour, it’s coming to take you away! Conducted by Martin Herman.
When: October 3rd, 8 pm, 2007.
Where: Orpheum Theatre, Corner of Smithe & Seymour, Vancouver
Visit the web site for more information.
VANCOUVER HOME & INTERIOR DESIGN SHOW
The Vancouver Home & Interior Design Show is the one place where you'll find hundreds of quality products and services for home remodelling, redecorating, landscaping, recreation at home and fine home living. Plus, you'll enjoy entertaining features and special guest speakers.
When: October 11th to the 14th, 2007.
Where: B C Place Stadium, Vancouver.
For more information visit the web site.
17TH ANNUAL VANCOUVER HEALTH SHOW
look YOUNGER, be SEXIER, feel BETTER...than you've ever felt before!
Come to Canada Place and find new products from over 200 exhibits! 800 experts to answer your questions. Fitenss demos, bodyworkers and the latest anti-aging products and continuous seminars.
When: October 9th and 10th, 2007.
Where: Canada Place Under the Sails, 999 Canada Place, Vancouver.
For more information visit: web site.
VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL WRITERS & READERS FESTIVAL
The 20th Vancouver International Writers & Readers Festival on Granville Island offers a world of ideas to explore. We invite you to immerse yourself in the excitement that enlivens Granville Island for the six days of the Festival. This is your opportunity to attend readings, discussions, debates and poetry bashes, and to meet an eclectic array of authors from around the world.
When: October 16th and 21st, 2007
Where: Granville Island, Vancouver.
For more information call 604-681-6330 or visit the web site.
A TASTE OF YALETOWN
The Taste of Yaletown, presented by American Express, will include over 20 of Yaletown’s spectacular restaurants offering special three-course tasting menus for set prices of $25, $35 and $45. A portion of profits during the campaign, from each participating restaurant will go towards The Greater Vancouver Food Bank.
When: October 12th to 28th, 2007.
Where: Various establishments around Yaletown.
For more information visit the web site.
CANNES INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING FESTIVAL REEL SCREENING
Hot off the beaches of Cannes is a smokin reel of the best television advertising in the world! These ads, selected at the Cannes Lions 2007 – 54th International Advertising Festival, represent the best the advertising world has to offer. Presented at the fabulous River Rock Casino Resort Theatre, this red carpet event will be a “must-attend” for anyone with a love of this fabulously commercial art form.
When: October 24th, 2007. 6 pm Reception; 7 pm Show Start
Where: River Rock Casino, 8811 River Road, Richmond.
For more information visit the web site.
VANCOUVER SNOW SHOW
The Vancouver Snow show is a two-day event featuring a host of great new ski and snowboard products, mountain resort destinations, travel and tour operators and a variety of key services.
When: October 27th & 28th, 2007.
Where: BC Place Stadium, Vancouver.
For more information visit the web site.
HALLOWEEN AROUND TOWN
The Greater Vancouver Area has many wonderful Halloween Attractions to visit during the Halloween season. Some are "Family Friendly" while others are extremely spooky (the best kind). The attractions range from Corn Mazes and Pumpkin Patches to Horror Labyrinths, Haunted Houses, to a large amusement park with multiple attractions to visit. Many of the scary attractions will offer a "Lights On" hour at the beginning of the night for the very young or for those who frighten easily.
When: Various dates throughout October, 2007.
Where: Various locales around the greater Vancouver area.
For more information and to locate an event near you visit the web site.
LIST YOUR EVENT OR CONCERT: Would you like to see your special event or concert listed here? Contact us via email ( leave the subject intact please) with the details in the format above and we will be happy to try and accommodate you. All entries must be submitted by the 24th day or earlier of each month to be considered for inclusion in the following month's newsletter. Innovation Networks reserves the right to publish/not publish any third party content within our newsletter. Submission of an event or concert is no guarantee that your event will be listed. |
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