While RIM is a client of Thornley Fallis, I was under no obligation to purchase a Blackberry Playbook or blog about it.

I purchased my Playbook from Staples last week and, to date, have been thrilled with it.

Here I am reading a document on my Playbook in my office this morning.

First off, it was really easy to set-up, figure out and start to use right out of the box. Setting up Internet tethering and a bridge to my Blackberry Torch was also really easy – I was able to access my business email on my Playbook within minutes of taking it out of the box.

Here is what I like about the playbook so far:

• The interface and navigation are great, as is the touch screen.
• The screen delivers super rich images and pictures.
• The audio was very clear and loud, surprisingly so in fact.
• The Browser is fast and easy to use.
• Downloading and installing apps from App World takes only seconds.
• I have never been able to type effectively on smartphone touch screen keyboards due to the small screen size and my fat fingers, but typing on the Playbook (with the larger screen and very responsive touch screen keyboard) has been a breeze.
• The 3MP 1080p HD forward-facing and 5 MP 1080p HD rear-facing cameras take great pictures and video.
• The HDMI port.

Great screen, interface and navigation!

One of the frequent criticisms I have seen about the Playbook is the lack of apps currently available from App World. I find this to be an odd criticism given the Playbook launched less than a week ago. Obviously, more and more apps will come. That said, there were already quite a few apps in App World. In fact, more than I expected to find given this frequent criticism.

[as stated above, RIM is a client of Thornley Fallis, the communications agency that I am President of]

[CIRA is a Thornley Fallis client]

Winners of  a .CA Impact Award will receive $5,000 and the visibility that comes with winning a national award.

Entry submissions can be completed in less than 15 minutes.

There are four broad categories to enter: E-Learning, Small Business, Not-For-Profit and Web Technologies.

There is no entry fee.

The deadline for entries is March 25, 2011.

Winners will be announced at an awards reception at mesh in Toronto, May 25, 2011.

With over 1.5 million .CA domain names and counting, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) understands that the Internet is more than technology – it is a significant force, a catalyst, and a powerful agent of social change. That’s why the first ever .CA Impact Awards has been created to celebrate the impact of .CA websites and applications.

The .CA Impact Awards are designed to recognize youth, educators, not-for-profit organizations, small businesses, technology developers, and web designers for their innovation, quality of work, and the impact of their .CA websites and applications.

More About .CA

.CA is Canada’s Internet identity, reserved for Canadians, recognized and trusted worldwide. The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) manages the registry for CA’s over 1.5 million domain names.

[CIRA is a Thornley Fallis client]

On February 25, 2011, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) will host a unique and important event about the future of the Internet in Canada.

The Internet has become an integral part of the economic, political and social lives of Canadians, and the Canadian Internet Forum (CIF) will provide a space for Canadians to discuss its future.

For the past four months, CIRA has been consulting with Canadians on privacy, how social media is driving the future of the Internet, and access to and the cost of broadband in Canada, among others.

At the CIF, attendees will be engaged to provide their feedback and opinions about the results of the consultations. There will be opportunity to ask questions, debate and have their opinion heard about the direction the Internet should take in Canada. A panel of Canadian experts will discuss and debate the future of the Internet, including:

•    Jacob Glick, Canada Policy Counsel, Google
•    Dr. Gerri Sinclair, Executive Director, Masters of Digital Media Program at Vancouver’s Centre for Digital Media
•    Marc Blanchet, Network Engineer, Viagénie
•    Jim Roche, President and CEO, CANARIE

Canadian technology visionary Leonard Brody will give the keynote address.

The agenda for the CIF is available here: http://cif.cira.ca/2011/01/cif-national-event-agenda/. Following the forum, there will be a networking reception.

Event details are as follows:
Friday, February 25, 2011
9 am to 5 pm, Reception to follow
Brookstreet Hotel, Ottawa, ON

Registration is free (http://www.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Summary.aspx?e=70e7a581-832f-44cf-9159-33af1ed2bc21) and lunch and coffee will be served.

Please visit http://cif.cira.ca for updates on the CIF.

For those unable to attend in person, the event will be webcast in English and French. Details on the webcast are available here: http://cif.cira.ca/cif-webcast-system-requirements/.

About CIRA
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) is the organization that manages Canada’s .CA domain name registry, develops and implements policies that support Canada’s Internet community and represents the .CA registry internationally.

Today our client CIRA announced the .CA Impact Awards at meshmarketing with this video that was created and produced by our firm Thornley Fallis & 76design.

The .CA Impact Awards celebrate Canadians making a positive impact online.

There are four categories:
•  Small Business
•  eLearning
•  Not-for-Profit
•  Web Technology

In addition to public recognition, the winning entry in each category will receive a cheque for $5,000.

Entries can be submitted online at www.impactawards.ca from January 6, 2011 to March 25, 2011.

Winners will be announced in May 2011 at mesh.

“You can’t understand what a business needs until you speak candidly and openly with the people who own, manage and work at it. Rogers communicates with hundreds of businesses every day in various ways, and we are learning from those conversations,” says Geoffrey Booth, a lead contributor to the newly launched Rogers RedBoard Biz Blog.

In August and September 2010, Thornley Fallis & 76design worked with Rogers to design, build and launch a new forum for discussions with small and medium businesses – RedBoard Biz.

Rogers created RedBoard Biz as a place to share proven tools and know-how that businesses can use to be more successful. Posts will contain news about Rogers products and services, and how businesses are using them. RedBoard Biz will also provide ideas and advice on a broad range of topics of interest to businesses.

The Rogers Redboard Biz Blog was developed following the great success of Rogers Redboard, a hub for consumers to discuss news and ideas as well as industry trends. Launched in March 2010, Redboard continues to gain in popularity.

The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) is pleased to announce the selection of Thornley Fallis & 76design as their Agency of Record for marketing and communications.

Thornley Fallis & 76design will provide CIRA with a range of services, including brand development, media relations, corporate communications, advertising, sponsorship, creative design, website development, video production and program measurement.

“CIRA chose Thornley Fallis & 76design from a group of very talented agencies based on several criteria. Most importantly, they truly are an integrated, full-service agency. In addition to more traditional, core capabilities such as strategic communications, media relations and advertising; Thornley Fallis & 76design also offers creative design, website development, video production, and public engagement services. All of this in addition to being Canadian leaders in the use social media and the development of online communities,” said David Fowler, CIRA’s Director of Marketing and Communications. “The CIRA team is really looking forward to our new relationship with Thornley Fallis & 76design. In addition to helping us improve communications with our stakeholders, including the more than 1.5 million .CA registrations, our new AOR will also help our team continue to promote and grow the .CA brand, as well as educate Canadians in the value .CA brings to their lives.”

This new, long-term Agency of Record agreement builds on a previous project-based relationship between CIRA and Thornley Fallis & 76design.  Since 2005, Thornley Fallis & 76design and CIRA have worked together on a variety of projects, including annual general meetings, the One Millionth .CA celebration event, online advertising and annual report design and production.

“This is a very exciting opportunity for our agency,” said Keelan Green, President of Thornley Fallis & 76design and manager of the CIRA relationship. “As a marketing and public relations agency that has really embraced the web and become a leader in digital communications, working with the organization that is responsible for managing significant parts of the Internet in Canada is just a great fit for our firm – our team is really looking forward to it.”

About CIRA
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) is the organization that manages Canada’s .CA domain name registry, develops and implements policies that support Canada’s Internet community and represents the .CA registry internationally.

About Thornley Fallis & 76design
Thornley Fallis & 76design is an innovative, full-service public relations, communications and marketing agency that helps organizations reach, connect with, build and sustain positive relationships with their communities through the integrated use of on-line and off-line communications tactics.

For additional information, please contact:

Jennifer Austin
Senior Manager, Communications & Marketing, CIRA
(613) 237-5335 ext. 296
jennifer.austin@cira.ca

LeeEllen Carroll
Thornley Fallis for CIRA
613-231-3355 ext. 231
carroll@thornleyfallis.ca

Every so often, in public relations, you get the opportunity to help present an event that truly gives back to the community in a way that matters.  Last week Thornley Fallis delivered thousands of dollars worth of non-perishable food items, collected at local Ford dealerships, to the Shepherds of Good Hope; this week we will be on location for Ford’s “Future of Safety Tour.”

Over 30 years ago an experimental airbag was developed. Known today as frontal and side-impact airbag systems, they changed the future of vehicle safety and have saved countless lives.

The latest addition to seatbelt safety is sure to make a splash at this week’s event, a seatbelt equipped with its own airbag – designed specifically for children traveling in rear seats.

On Thursday, October 14th, Sparks Street Mall will be transformed into one of the biggest vehicle safety awareness events in Ottawa, with close to 100 feet of safety technologies to explore and test.

The hands on demonstrations feature award-winning safety products. The general public and the media will have the opportunity to speak with experts in road safety, vehicle restraint safety, and vehicle usage safety.

The “Future of Safety Tour” is Ford’s second global safety event that raises awareness and brings safety from the home and to the roads. Ford’s safety innovations helps customers avoid crashes or protect them when an accident unavoidable. They’re also pioneering new technologies such as radar warning systems to help drivers avoid potentially dangerous situations, as well as auto parking and braking advices to help drivers avoid even more unnecessary accidents.

Experiencing Ford's inflatable seatbelt

Come out and see the excitement at the Sparks Street Mall (outside the CBC Building).

Thursday, October 14th, 2010

07:00 a.m. – Demonstrations begin for general public

12:00 p.m. – News conference begins

12:30 p.m. – Demonstrations for media begin

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED

On Wednesday, October 13th, Lauren More, Vice-President of Communications for Ford of Canada, will deliver a presentation on Satisfying Consumer Mega-Trends.

Ms. More’s presentation will take place at the Sheraton Hotel (150 Albert Street, O’Connor Room) from 11:30am to 1:30pm.  Costs: $50.00 for CPRS Members, $65 for Non-members and $40 for CPRS Student Members.

Spaces are limited. Please register by October 8, 2010 on the secure CPRS Ottawa-Gatineau website at https://vws3.primus.ca/www.cprsottawa.com/register/event-registration.php. VIsa and MasterCard are accepted.

About the Presentation:
As business people and communications professionals, we certainly live in interesting times. We are witnesses to unprecedented shifts in the global economies – new population growth patterns are emerging, market purchasing power is changing and consumer preferences around the world
are converging. Many of the decisions we make today, during this unique economic era, will shape our companies for decades to come. How do we ensure we’re delivering the products and services customers and clients really want? In this session, we’ll explore some of these consumer mega-
trends from a global perspective.

About Lauren More:
Lauren More is the Vice President of Communications at Ford Motor Company of Canada, Ltd., where she manages multiple media communications programs and serves as a company spokesperson on a number of topics, including: corporate news, manufacturing and assembly operations, environment and safety, human resources issues, and crisis communications.

Ms. More has more than 20 years experience as a communications professional and daily newspaper reporter. Prior to joining Ford, she served as the Public Relations Manager for Canada at one of the world’s largest technology and management consulting firms and has held a variety of
positions at Toronto-based public relations agencies.

As a journalist, Ms. More earned both national and regional awards for her work covering everything from educational issues and local politics, to high-tech and the automotive
industry. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Journalism degree from Carleton University and earned a Master of Business Administration degree from York University’s Schulich School of Business.

[Ford is a client of Thornley Fallis and Keelan Green is President of CPRS Ottawa-Gatineau]

[Ford and Shepherds of Good Hope are both clients]

As we get closer to Thanksgiving we often remind ourselves of reasons to be thankful. Here at Thornley Fallis we recalled how, this past summer, The Shepherds of Good Hope declared their cupboards bare.

TFC’s LeeEllen Carroll with the Ford Transit Connect – a home office on the road.

We came up with the idea of “Ford Connects with the Community” – a new community fundraising event organized in hopes of making Thanksgiving a thankful time for everyone in the nation’s capital. Ottawa area Ford dealers are filling their Transit Connect mobile units, when packed to the roof, will provide enough food to fill tables with hundreds of meals in the coming weeks.

While the dealers have invited their staff, customers, communities and friends to contribute, we’ve invited the Parliamentary Press Gallery, local areas MPs and MPPs, as well as municipal politicians and candidates to make a difference.

We’ll be driving the Transit Connect to collect the food at the end of this week. We hope you can join us in celebrating the community connecting to help those in need.

LeeEllen loading food donations into the Transit Connect.

At the conclusion of the Ford Food Drive, Ottawa’s AChannel had a chat with Rob Eady from the Shepherds of Good Hope, Phil Torrinha from Donnelly Ford and a group of Ottawa Sting minor hockey players who wanted to apply their teamwork to their community.

[Ford is a client.]

Here’s an easy and efficient way to take one’s home office on the road. Literally.

Ford’s Transit Connect was developed to be a smart new choice for small business owners. The Ford Work Solutions in-dash computer is capable of linking into a business’s main office computer network or a home computer via the cellular broadband connection.  When I gave it a spin I found the word processing and on-board inkjet printer handy for my own work. It also has a handy “Tool Link” where the RFI will scan the vehicle to ensure all inventory is onboard. This has potential to ensure all hockey and sports equipment makes it back safely as well!

The navigation system contains features including listings for local stations and coffee stops, which both came in handy during my test drive.

CTV’s Paul Brent also got behind the wheel and spoke with an Ottawa-based business about why it’s their choice of business vehicle.