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British Columbia aims to end fossil fuel car sales by 2040
The efforts to phase out fossil fuel cars are spreading in North America. British Columbia Premier John Horgan said his government would introduce a bill in 2019 that would require sales of emissions-free "light-duty" cars and trucks in the Canadian province by 2040. The percentages would ramp up, starting with a 10 percent requirement by 2025 and climbing to 30 percent by 2030.
Canada's first eSports stadium comes to Vancouver in 2019
The US has a few dedicated eSports arenas, but what about its northern neighbor? Don't worry, you're covered there, too. Myesports Ventues has announced that it's opening The Gaming Stadium, billed as Canada's first eSports stadium, in Vancouver (specifically Richmond) sometime in 2019. It won't be a massive location, but it will have room for 250 fans, 40 gaming stations and broadcasters. You can expected food and drinks, of course, as well as an open casual gaming space. The creators are promising competitions at "all skill levels" as well as coaching for those looking to boost their talents.
Amazon tests courier drones in Canada to avoid US hassles
When Amazon said it would take its delivery drone testing abroad, it wasn't kidding. The Guardian has learned that the internet shopping giant is testing its robotic Prime Air couriers in Canada (the province of British Columbia, to be exact) to get around what it sees as frustratingly slow US approval. As Amazon's Paul Misener explains, the company isn't willing to wait until American regulators find an "impetus" to legalize these drones. It rejects the Federal Aviation Administration's portrayal of US airspace as uniquely complex. Canada and European countries also have a lot of air traffic, but they've still approved lots of testing and commercial drone flights.
Microsoft axes Flight development, cuts 35 jobs at Vancouver games studio
Microsoft is laying off staff at its Vancouver studio after it halted development on Flight and "Project Columbia," a Kinect-based virtual storybook for children. A representative speaking to Joystiq said that the 35 people affected would receive help to find new roles within the company, and that it remains invested in the city's industry. In a statement to Kotaku, included after the break, it added that it would continue to support the free title, which was itself a revival of the doomed MS Flight Simulator, and that it would remain available for download.
Canon EOS 1000D washes ashore in BC, Canada, SD card reveals it was lost at sea for over a year (update)
What you're looking at was once a fully functional Canon EOS 1000D, now merely a relic of the sea (the Pacific Ocean, to be exact), which was recently posted on Google+. User Marcus Thompson, found the DSLR washed up near a wharf while on a diving job in Deep Bay British Columbia, Canada and decided to take it home to find out what could be salvaged. After removing and cleaning the SanDisk Extreme III SD card inside of it, he was successfully able to recover about 50 photos with EXIF data from August 2010, showcasing what's described to be a firefighter and his family on vacation. While he hasn't located the owner of the shooter turned coffee table decoration just yet, Marcus is currently asking the "Google+ hive mind" to help get the two reunited. If you're from BC area and want to help out -- or just curious to see this DSLR from more angles -- you'll find some pictures from the SD card and more information about the camera at the source link below. Update (5:00PM): The original Google+ post was updated within the last hour, noting that the owner of the camera has indeed been identified!
Phone Oximeter saves lives, puts Journey's lawyers on red alert (video)
We'll be honest with you, we don't know a lot about marketing healthcare devices to everyday people, so perhaps posting a goofy YouTube video with some re-written classic rock songs is standard practice in the industry. Whatever the case, the University of British Columbia's Electrical & Computer Engineering in Medicine team managed to bring its Phone Oximeter to our attention, and all said, this could be a handy little device for monitoring vitals outside a hospital setting. The meter hooks up to a smartphone -- an iPhone for trials, but we're told it works with Android, Windows, and others -- displaying the wearer's blood oxygen level and heart and respiratory rates, and transmitting the readings to the hospital. The department has already done some field testing with the system, trying it out at the Vancouver General Hospital and bringing it to Uganda, where low cost medical devices and Journey spoofs are in high demand. Video probably only meant for its creators' friends and family after the break. [Thanks, Walter]
Telus TV nets Super Channel stations in Alberta / BC, Canada
Check it, Western Canada -- here's a spectacular early Christmas / Boxing Day present. Super Channel, the nation's premium national TV service, has just made itself available in British Columbia and Alberta on Telus TV. That's right, half a dozen new ones are now ready for viewing, with two of them being in glistening high-definition. The SD stations will be hosted on slots 230 through 233, while the HD variants will be delivered on 635 and 636. And hey, there's no wrapping paper to clean up, which is always a plus.
Canadian valley fights to stay "cellphone free," yet plans VoIP-friendly MuniFi
The luddites have evidently busted out of the early-1800s and resettled in the Slocan Valley up in rural British Columbia: an "economic development group" of residents in this opposite-of-silicon valley has asked a company not to erect a cellphone tower that would provide access to the valley, claiming that the move will in some way attract people by detracting cellphone owners and their tendencies to be loud and anti-social. If their demand is successful, they hope to go on and promote the valley's "cellphone free status": personally, we'd be cowering in shame. The ultimate irony is that the same authority is putting up a WiFi network to give residents access to the internet, and -- how do we put this -- VoIP. Hey, they can always claim health concerns when and if that "issue arises."
Urilift: the disappearing public urinal (and we do mean public)
While there's no shortage of bathroom-based oddities floating around out there, the Urilift system definitely takes top honors. Since the presumably alcoholics anonymous-approved Wizmark urinals can't keep everyone from getting a little tipsy, officials in Victoria, British Columbia are taking a note from European countries to keep urine off the streets. Rather than leaving inebriated party-going males nowhere to relieve themselves on the streets, the government is considering installing hydraulic toilets in the roadways, which are remotely triggered at night to appear from their subterranean dwelling place. While there's no doors or privacy factor involved, those who were previously choosing to take it to the sidewalks probably won't mind all that much, and designers say the open design discouraged loitering and criminal activity anyway. Priced at $75,000 a pop, Victoria plans to become the first North American locale to try these newfangled restrooms out -- and hey, at least we know where to head for a clean(er) Spring Break now, right?
