Cry Engine 2 technology demo | Friday, May 12th, 2006

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Had some trouble finding this myself, so I'm putting it up here: tech demo of crytek's new "cryengine 2" 3d engine. Ignore the generic first person shooter action - just imagine taking the engine, and slapping a collaborative game / toy / tool in there. Actually, don't imagine it... Bam! ;)

CBC Montreal - Bombardier granted huge Montreal metro deal | Thursday, May 11th, 2006

CBC Montreal - Bombardier granted huge Montreal metro deal

I'm not sure how I feel about this:

The government has granted the contract to replace Montreal's aging fleet of subway cars to Bombardier.
The Charest government announced Thursday afternoon that it has given
the $1.2-billion contract to Quebec-based Bombardier without a public
tender.

On the one hand, no-competition handouts frighten me, and remind me of the lobbyist / crony / congress circus that's setup up in th US, with government contracts going out to corporate buddies (see Halliburton, etc).

On the other hand, it makes sense that the contract to update Montreal's subways should go to a local company and the tax dollars should get reinvested into the local economy.

Gas theft in Laval reaching epidemic proportions | Wednesday, May 10th, 2006

warning sign

The Laval police, in cooperation with the Canadian Petroleum Products Institute (whose website makes me cry), have begun slapping these warning stickers on gas pumps across the city. They read:

Warning!
Driving off without paying is filling up your tank... with problems!
By distraction or intentionally, some people leave the gas station without paying.
They will be prosecuted in court.

In the booming city of Laval, near Montreal, several people a day drive off without paying, prompting some stations to post guards at the pumps. Police have created a new category of crime called "gas theft," after "pump and run" incidents in Quebec City surpassed 1,000 last year.

Another interesting issue is gas theft from individials - cases of gas being siphoned directly from a car's gas tank are at an all-time high. Locking gas caps are sold out at automotive parts stores across the province.

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