The Canadian Press has learned Defence Minister Peter MacKay recently ordered National Defence to take another look at whether some of the nine VH-71 aircraft—purchased for spare parts to keep this country’s search-and-rescue choppers flying—can be made fully operational. MacKay plans to tour the hangar, at IMP Aerospace in Nova Scotia, where the discarded presidential fleet has been housed since the Harper government spent $164 million to acquire it from the Pentagon.

Both the air force and the department’s material branch have insisted the American helicopters were only suitable for spares because they do not have an air worthiness certificate, nor an electronics suite for search and rescue. But MacKay, in an interview with The Canadian Press, says he’s ordered a review to see what sort of work would be needed to bring as many as four of them on to the flight line.

“This is something we’re very serious about,” he said, noting it would be cheaper than buying additional CH-149 Cormorants. “I’m not saying it would be cost-neutral but I can’t think of anything that would have more of an immediate impact” on search and rescue operations, MacKay said.

MacKay ordered the second look before last week’s searing auditor general report, in which National Defence was told it didn’t have enough new aircraft or the right kind of helicopters devoted to saving lives in the hinterlands. Specifically, Michel Ferguson took aim at the air force’s use of CH-146 Griffon utility helicopters out of Canadian Forces Base Trenton, Ont. The light chopper cannot make it all of the way to the Arctic or other far-flung destinations without refuelling.

The Griffons were placed at Central Canada’s major search-and-rescue hub because the Cormorants, purchased by a previous Liberal government, faced routine, often infuriating, spare parts shortages. The problem has largely been eliminated with the purchase of the used VH-71s, which are similar to the EH-101 airframe on which the Cormorant is based.

The air force has also managed to acquire a much larger stock of spares from the aircraft-manufacturer, AugustaWestland.

Maj.-Gen Mike Hood, the deputy commander of the air force, said outfitting some of the former presidential helicopters with mission systems “remains a consideration, but going forward we are focused primarily on the parts and enabling our present system.”

He was cautious in his assessment of whether the US planes could be converted.

“I’m certainly not going to preclude anything,” Hood said in a brief interview. “We’re going to have to work with industry to see what is the art of the possible.”

Opposition MPs have often asked why some of the VH-71s could not be converted and pressed into service to relieve the overburdened search-and-rescue system, and now MacKay is asking the question himself.

“I know they were concerned about spares, but I think our Cormorants are in a much better place than they were several years ago, and we have dealt with things,” MacKay said.

Internal defence department documents say the number of aircraft sidelined because of a lack of parts on any given day has been cut to two from five.

The Canadian military bought 15 Cormorants, but lost one in a training accident in 2006. The fleet has suffered a variety of problems, including cracks in the tail rotor and corrosion. Shortly after taking office, the Obama administration cancelled the VH-71 program of new presidential helicopters, which was started under former president George W. Bush. The projected cost had doubled to US $13 billion.

The company’s paper towel was launched October 2012 in the North American market as a way to reduce bacterial contamination and transmission. Dry to the touch, the green-colored Cascades Antibacterial paper towel has been confirmed in third-party testing to kill over 99.99 percent of harmful bacteria upon coming into contact with wet hands. Among other uses, said Cascades, the product was designed to help decrease contamination possibilities within the food processing and food service industries, and reduce absenteeism rates at work and school.

“We’re incredibly proud of this product and pleased to receive this distinguished honor,” said Suzanne Blanchet, Cascades Tissue Group CEO. “Eighty percent of infections are transmitted by hands, so we believe this innovation can have a significant impact on overall public health.”

“Winning this avionics Optimized Weapons System Support contract expands the already holistic support Cascade provides to Canada,” said Justin Currie, Cascade’s executive VP COO. “The anticipated synergies with our existing Primary Air Vehicle OWSM contract will further enhance Canada’s operational output, reduce overall costs and allow for more effective decision making.”

Through the contract, Cascade will develop operating plans for the program management and support of C-130 avionics repair and overhaul, and provide software support, configuration management, supply chain management strategies and the management of thousands of avionics-related consumable items.

Those who pre-order a phone in advance, for about $200 on a three-year contract or $700 without a contract, should get it by the end of the month. The phone is then expected to go on sale on May 3.

Samsung is highlighting a slew of software features as the main differentiators for its latest Galaxy phone, including a bolstered photo app and gestures that allow the device to be controlled without touching the screen.

Kodak’s document imaging business provides a scanners, capture software and services. Brother manufactures laser, label and multi-function printers, as well as fax machines and sewing machines.

The deal is subject to court approval and a marketing period in which Kodak can seek higher or better offer for the business, said Kodak, including through a court-approved auction. The ability to continue to look for alternatives during this period will ensure maximum value for the business, Kodak said.

“This proposed sale is another key step in Kodak’s path to emergence—it moves us closer to realizing our strategic vision for Kodak’s future,” said Antonio Perez, chairman and CEO. “A sale to Brother, should they prevail, would represent an excellent outcome for Document Imaging’s customers, partners and employees.”

Through the agreement, Kodak will seek US bankruptcy court approval of the bidding procedures at a hearing and is targeting final court approval of a transaction in June. Dolores Kruchten, president of document imaging, said Kodak will work to ensure a smooth transition for customers.

“The Xerox brand is well regarded in the paper markets it serves,” said John D. Williams, Domtar’s president and CEO. “This deal brings together Xerox’s branded papers with Domtar’s already comprehensive paper offering and will allow us to better serve our customers.”

Xerox does not manufacture paper. But the company has long distributed through its brand name a broad range of coated and uncoated papers and specialty print media including business forms as well as carbonless and wide-format paper. This business will now become part of Domtar’s pulp and paper segment, and Domtar will market and distribute Xerox-branded paper and print media.

“As Xerox broadens its business to focus more on services and innovative document technology, we saw an opportunity for our paper business clients to be better served by a leader in the industry,” said Frank Edmonds, senior vice-president, Xerox Global Paper and Supplies Distribution Group. “It’s an across-the-board win. Xerox benefits through a trademark licensing agreement with Domtar; Domtar adds a well-regarded brand to its portfolio and our respective clients get a simplified, “one-stop” experience through Domtar’s extensive offerings and distribution network.”

Xerox will continue to manufacture, sell and support its broad range of consumables, such as toner and ink and Xerox Replacement Cartridges. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2013, subject to customary closing conditions. Until the close, Xerox customers can continue to order paper and media through Xerox Supplies sales representatives, Xerox inside sales centers, or online.

Smith Detection said the RadSeeker provides capability to distinguish radiological and nuclear threats from naturally occurring radiation or other legitimate radiological materials by utilizing its advanced software.

“RadSeeker is best- in-class technology to help Canada protect its citizens from nuclear and radiological threats while maintaining a free flow of trade,” said Lance Roncalli, Smiths Detection’s vice-president of sales, Americas. “Its technological advantages, exceptional reliability and Smiths Detection’s globally-recognized service and training, make it a cost-efficient way to detect radiation threats at Canada’s borders.”

RadSeeker is deployed by governments around the world, helping resolve nuclear threat alarms during screening of cargo containers at borders and points of entry. It was originally developed with support, in part, from the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO), a jointly staffed agency within the US Department of Homeland Security.

Samsung trumpeted the much-anticipated phone’s arrival March 14 at an event. The Galaxy S 4, which crams a 5-inch screen into body slightly smaller than the S III’s, will go on sale in the U.S. sometime between the end of April and the end of June. In the U.S., it will be sold by all four national carriers‚—Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile USA—as well as by smaller ones US Cellular and Cricket. All told, Samsung plans to offer the Galaxy 4 S through 327 carriers in 155 countries, giving it a wider reach than Apple’s iPhone 5.

Samsung didn’t say what the phone will cost, but it can be expected to start at $200 with a two-year contract in the U.S. That’s comparable to the iPhone 5.

In the last two years, Samsung has emerged as Apple’s main competitor in the high-end smartphone market. At the same time, it has sold enough inexpensive low-end phones to edge out Nokia Corp. as the world’s largest maker of phones.

The Galaxy line has been Samsung’s chief weapon in the smartphone fight, and it has succeeded in making it a recognizable brand while competitors like Taiwan’s HTC Corp. and Korean rival LG have stumbled. Samsung has sold 100 million Galaxy S phones since they first came out in 2010. That’s still well below the 268 million iPhones Apple has sold in the same period, but Samsung’s sales rate is catching up.

Research firm Strategy Analytics said the Galaxy S III overtook Apple’s iPhone 4S as the world’s bestselling smartphone for the first time in the third quarter of last year, as Apple fans were holding off for the iPhone 5. The iPhone 5 took back the crown in the fourth quarter.

One way Samsung and other makers of Android phone have been one-upping Apple is by increasing the screen size. Every successive generation of the Galaxy line has been bigger than the one before. The S III sported a screen that measures 4.8 inches on the diagonal, already substantially larger than the iPhone 5′s 4-inch screen. The S 4′s screen is 56 per cent larger than the iPhone’s.

Apart from the larger screen and upgraded processor, the S 4 has a battery that’s 20 per cent larger than that of the S III. Samsung didn’t say if that translates into a longer battery life—the added capacity might be gobbled up by the bigger screen or other internal changes.

The S 4 comes with a built-in infra-red diode, so it can control an entertainment centre as a universal remote. This is a feature that has showed up in Android tablets before.

The S 4 comes with several new technologies intended to help users interact with the phone. For instance, the screen now senses fingers hovering just above the screen, and some applications react. The Mail application shows the first few lines of an email when a finger hovers above it in the list, and the Gallery application shows an expanded thumbnail.

Users can control some other applications by making gestures in the air above the phone. In the browser, you can command the screen to scroll up by swiping from top to bottom a few inches from the phone.

The Camera application can now use both the front and rear cameras simultaneously, inserting a small picture of the user even as he’s capturing the scene in front of him.

The Galaxy 4 S also will include a tool that enables users to create a dividing line so part of the phone is devoted exclusively to work while the other part is filled with personal information and photos. The feature is similar to a function on the latest BlackBerry—an indication that Samsung is going after other smartphone makers besides Apple with its latest model.

The former Research In Motion said shipments of the phones will start immediately.

“An order for one million devices is a tremendous vote of confidence in BlackBerry 10,” said Rick Costanzo, executive vice president of global sales at BlackBerry. It’s the first time the smartphone maker has revealed sales data for its new devices.

Chief executive Thorsten Heins has said the new BlackBerry Z10 touchscreen phone is selling better than the company expected, while Canadian carrier Bell said last month that pre-orders broke its previous records for BlackBerry.

The phone hit stores in Canada and the United Kingdom in February, with several other international markets following soon after. Meanwhile, the US rollout of the device continues as another carrier announced when it would carry the new touchscreen devices. Verizon Wireless says it will begin stocking the BlackBerry Z10 on March 28, with pre-orders starting on March 14.

Earlier this week AT&T announced it would begin to offer the phone on March 22, while T-Mobile expects to carry the BlackBerry device for its business customers as early as the end of this week, though it did not provide details on the availability for non-business customers.

A keypad version of the phone, dubbed the BlackBerry Q10, is expected this spring though an official date hasn’t been announced. BlackBerry will report its fourth-quarter earnings on March 28. Shares in the company closed up $1.21 at $16.04 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

There is no shortage of security and surveillance equipment that is being procured on a regular basis, with closed circuit video equipment and electronic access control systems topping the list. After that, items such as emergency communications systems (i.e. intercom systems), intrusion alarm systems and even X-ray systems or hand-held metal detectors make the list.

Knowing what information to seek out, along with what to look for in equipment and supplier profiles, takes some knowledge and leg work. And with budgets sometimes strained and spending often under a microscope, the “human element” of an organization’s day-to-day operations, for example security, can often recede slightly, says David Hyde, security expert and owner and principal consultant at David Hyde & Associates. But there is still much to be considered when looking into such purchases. What follows is advice on making informed decisions when shopping for security systems.

No standards
While security staff must be paid, equipment represents a one-time expenditure, notes Hyde. That has meant a shift by many organizations from personel towards electronics as a security tool. But there are no widely recognized and accepted standards in place for electronic security systems in Canada, he says. Hyde sees that as a problem.

“In some (jurisdictions) like the UK, they have standards in and around, let’s say, camera systems,” Hyde notes. “There are actually government guidelines and rules, especially in the public sector. In Canada, there aren’t any. Essentially, it’s left up to the purchaser or user.”

That leaves procurement with less to go on when defining what’s needed from security systems that, these days, can feature rather advanced technology. Those doing the buying don’t always know exactly what a camera should look at, when an alarm should sound or other system performance requirements. That can result in institutions relying on the installers to tell them what they need, Hyde says. Companies bidding on an RFP for the equipment are rarely told exactly what’s required, while the purchaser is relying on installers who may also be unaware of an institution’s requirements, Hyde says.

“We have a mismatch there,” he notes. “When we get the bids that come rolling in from the different installers, we can’t compare apples to apples, but the procurement professional who’s sitting there has now got to compare these bids. Eventually they give the contract to the lowest bidder.”

Often, the performance requirements and functional needs of the systems aren’t clearly explained, he says. The purchasing institution must spell out in their RFP
document what they’re looking for and
trying to achieve.

“The more tightly the performance requirements are specified, the easier it makes the job of the procurement professional,” Hyde says.

Dominic Burns, owner of Whitby, Ontario-based AC Technical Systems, says that lack of industry regulation means a “minefield” for institutions looking to purchase such equipment. While end-users are more educated on the subject, there must be “due diligence” to ensure that they’re looking at the right features when comparing products and services.

For example, Burns notes, ask whether a supplier staffs factory-trained technicians, as having such personel available shows the company knows its stuff. These days, the technology is changing rapidly and many security systems sit on an institution’s network. There needs to be someone who can communicate properly with the IT department (it can also pay to ask whether the technicians have an IT certification).

When choosing an integrator, find someone who will not only deliver a quality product but who will also service it later, Burns says. Installation capability is one thing, but availability, for example, to resolve an issue with a system at 4:55pm on a Friday before a long weekend can count for a lot. Ask companies whether they have some sort of maintenance agreement in place, Burns says.

“Another thing I would add is that you should make sure they actually do have some sort of internal quality control process,” Burns says. For its part, AC Technical Systems recently received its ISO 9001 certification.
“It wasn’t necessary, but we decided to do it internally so there are always processes we can replicate,” he says. “It’s more efficient, more productive and it’s a better quality product.”

The benefits of research
One essential component to finding the right system, says David Hyde, is to take the time to research the systems available and to take note of what your requirements are. While no Canadian guidelines exist, the UK and other places have some standards surrounding best practices, particularly for camera systems, that procurement professionals here can check out. Some Internet research can go a long way in learning what standards other jurisdictions have enacted.

That research can also involve talking to experts in the security field, sometimes within an institution itself, Hyde noted. Many public entities have security and safety personnel—a security manager or in-house security consultant, for instance—who understands the operational risk or security area. Procurement can approach those staff to help them fashion an RFP or specification document that gives bidding security companies the information they need.

A fallback strategy is hiring a security consultant to help procurement and front-line users understand what’s available and what they need. Those consultants can save money, Hyde notes. If an organization is prepared to purchase 50 cameras, a consultant may point out that only 20 are needed. “It’s really lining up what your security needs are with what’s the best tool for the job,” Hyde says. “A consultant can help to specify if you’re using the right gear to perform in the right way.”

But while there are independent consultants, there are also consultants that work for security system suppliers who therefore have a vested interest in their employer’s products. To a certain degree, you roll the dice when seeking such advise.

Whatever type of  security system an organization is looking to procure, a few key points should be kept in mind. Ensuring the proper information, performing research and looking for a maintenance agreement all influence an organization’s ability to get the most appropriate system for its needs.

Does it fit the employee?
Many manufacturers are trying to design their chairs to accommodate from the fifth or tenth percentile females on the smaller end to the 90th or 95th percentile males on the tall end. But sometimes the data used is for Caucasians whereas many of our workplaces are made up of individuals from many different ethnic backgrounds, requiring a larger range of adjustability. It’s unlikely an organization will be able to find a single chair to fit everyone, given the range required for a multi-ethnic workforce. Companies should reserve some of their budget to allow for those that don’t fit the standard.

Using international body dimension data, fifth percentile female chair height (floor to top of seat) is roughly 29cm and the 95th percentile male chair height is about 52cm. To accommodate taller people, organizations may need to look for a longer pneumatic cylinder length. As well, it’s worth checking with the vendor up front to determine if this option is available. The range of height adjustability is important when the keyboard and mouse are at a fixed height, as shorter individuals may need to raise their chair to be at the right height for the keyboard (about elbow height) and then use a footrest to support their feet.

Seat pan depth adjustability
If someone sits back in the chair, there should be no pressure on the back of the knees that could cut off circulation to the feet, so the seat pan length should be adjustable. The fifth percentile female dimension for buttock to back of knee length is about 40cm while the 95th percentile male dimension is 61cm. An appropriate seat pan dimension is a few centimetres shorter than these dimensions. Short seat pans are more difficult to find due to the space needed under the seat for the adjustment mechanism.

The chair should have a method to move the lumbar support height to fit a range of torso lengths. Look for chairs with adjustable lumbar support to fit the depth of low back curvature.

Back angle

Generally, a more upright position for computer work is better but people may wish to recline from time to time. But what feels upright can differ between men and women. Although there are always exceptions, women tend to like the back rest in a more vertical position due to being wider through the hips and having a lower centre of mass. Men generally have a higher centre of mass, wider through the shoulders and can feel as if they’re leaning forward while in a chair with a vertical position. They tend to prefer a slight backward recline in the backrest to feel “upright.” Many chairs have backrests that are skewed towards the slightly reclined position, so women can’t move the backrest and therefore don’t use the back support.

Armrest height and width
For those with short torsos and long limbs, there’s little space between their hands and thighs in the 90-degree position and many chairs have armrests that can’t be lowered this far. This forces the person’s shoulders into a shrugged position. It’s often better to remove the armrests so it’s important to look for chairs with this capability.
For those wider through the hips than waist, the support shaft for the armrests must be able to clear the hips, while the armrests must be able to move closer to the body. A telescoping feature, such as pivoting, or a portion that flips over can serve this purpose.

Since the desired height of the armrests and the keyboard/mouse surface are about the same, armrests that extend forward too far prevent employees from pulling in close to the surface, especially for those who are narrower from the front to the back of their torso. This results in reaching forward to the keyboard and mouse, which puts more stress on the shoulder and upper back.

Finally, an adjustable chair won’t help if the person doesn’t know how to use it. Get the most from your purchase by ensuring employees know how to operate the adjustment mechanisms and what the best adjustments are for themselves.

Margo Fraser, M.Sc. is a Canadian Certified Professional Ergonomist and executive director of the Association of Canadian Ergonomists.

The agreement gives Samsung a 3 per cent stake in Osaka-based Sharp and a supply of large-size LCD panels for televisions. Samsung said in a statement that the investment will help strengthen Sharp’s LCD panel business. The South Korean company known for its Galaxy smartphones and tablets said it will not be involved in Sharp’s management.

The alliance is a boost for the troubled Japanese company that has been seeking to raise capital as part of its turnaround plans. Sharp shares jumped 14.1 per cent in Tokyo trading.

The maker of Igzo display panels and Aquos TVs has struggled to stay afloat as competition from South Korean and Chinese TV makers squeezed Japanese manufacturers and their ability to make the big capital investments needed in the hyper competitive LCD industry.

Sharp has been in talks with Taiwan-based Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., also known as Foxconn, to raise capital but no deal has been reached. Sharp announced in December a 9.9 billion yen investment from Qualcomm Inc. to jointly develop new display technology.

Sharp has LCD panel factories in Kameyama and Sakai in Japan and produces small- and medium-sized panels for smartphones as well as large panels for TVs.

The deal with Samsung helps Sharp ramp up its display panel production. Sharp’s panel clients include Samsung’s rival Apple Inc. and Samsung, though the South Korea company gets most of its panel supply from its affiliate Samsung Display Co.

Sharp forecasts a record 450 billion yen ($5 billion) loss for its business year through March and has struggled to cut costs and reshape its business, partly because it has invested in expensive plants in Japan that make panels for which prices have fallen sharply overseas. The plants embody Sharp’s prized technology, but they also make the company hostage to the yen’s swings.

The agreement is the latest investment in Japanese firms by Samsung, which sits on a stockpile of cash and has strong overseas buying power because of the won’s rise. In January, it acquired a 5 per cent stake in Wacom Co., a Japanese firm with digital pen technology.

US District Court Judge Lucy Koh lowered the damages awarded to Apple Inc by $450.5 million for 14 Samsung products including some products in its hot-selling Galaxy lineup, saying jurors had not properly followed her instruction in calculating some of the damages. She also concluded that mistakes had been made in determining when Apple had first notified Samsung about the alleged violations of patents for its trend-setting iPhone and IPad. Koh ordered a new trial to recalculate damages for those products.

“We are pleased that the court decided to strike $450,514,650 from the jury’s award,” Samsung spokeswoman Lauren Restuccia said. “Samsung intends to seek further review as to the remaining award.”

Apple declined to comment on the Koh’s ruling. The ruling reduced Samsung Electronics’ bill to just under $599 million. The judge said the tab will probably increase after the appeals of both companies are resolved.

Apple is seeking more damages and Samsung a complete dismissal of the case in the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the Washington, DC-based court that handles all patent appeals. The new trial to recalculate the damages could also increase the award. Still, the ruling was the second significant setback in Koh’s courtroom since the headline grabbing verdict was announced.

In December, Koh refused to order a sales ban on the products the jury found infringed Apple’s patents. She said Apple failed to prove the purloined technology is what drove consumers to buy a Samsung product instead of an Apple iPhone or iPad. Samsung says that it continues to sell only three of the two dozen products found to have infringed Apple’s patents.

After a three-week trial closely followed in Silicon Valley, the jury decided that Samsung ripped off the trailblazing technology and sleek designs used by Apple to create its revolutionary iPhone and iPad. Jurors ordered Samsung to pay Apple $1.05 billion. Apple filed another lawsuit last year accusing Samsung’s newer line of products of continuing to use technology controlled by Apple. Koh has scheduled trial in that case for early next year. She has implored both companies on several occasions to settle their difference with little success.

Apple filed its patent infringement lawsuit in April 2011 and engaged legions of America’s highest-paid patent lawyers to demand $2.5 billion from its top smartphone competitor. Samsung Electronics Co fired back with its own lawsuit seeking $399 million. The jury found that several Samsung products illegally used such Apple creations as the “bounce-back” feature when a user scrolls to an end image, and the ability to zoom text with a tap of a finger.

Samsung has mounted an aggressive post-trial attack on the verdict, raising a number of legal issues that allege the South Korean company was treated unfairly in a federal courtroom a dozen miles from Apple’s Cupertino headquarters. Samsung alleges that some of Apple’s patents shouldn’t have been awarded in the first place and that the jury made mistakes in calculating the damage award.

Samsung has emerged as one of Apple’s biggest rivals and has overtaken it as the leading smartphone maker. Samsung’s Galaxy line of phones run on Android, a mobile operating system that Google Inc has given out for free to Samsung and other phone makers. Apple and Samsung have filed similar lawsuits in eight other countries, including South Korea, Germany, Japan, Italy, the Netherlands, Britain, France and Australia.

Samsung will start selling the new tablet in the April to June period, at an as yet undetermined price. It made the announcement ahead of Mobile World Congress, the wireless industry’s annual trade show, which starts Monday in Barcelona, Spain.

The Note 8.0 fills a gap in Samsung’s line-up of pen-equipped devices between the Galaxy Note II smartphone, with its 5.5-inch screen, and the Galaxy Note 10.1, a full-size tablet. Samsung has made the pen, or more properly the stylus, one of the tools it uses to chip away at Apple’s dominance in both tablets and high-end smartphones. Apple doesn’t make any devices that work with styluses, preferring to optimize its interfaces for fingers, mice and touchpads.

On Samsung’s Note line, the pens can be used to write, highlight and draw. The screens also sense when the mouse hovers over the screen, providing an equivalent to the hovering mouse cursor on the PC. However, few third-party applications have been modified to take full advantage of the pens.

“Many US-based tire manufacturers use their supplier contracts with Canadian tire retailers to force them to buy tires wholesale directly from their Canadian affiliates rather than directly through much less costly US wholesale distribution channels,” says Bob Bignell, chair of the Tire Price Disparity Committee of the Tire Dealers Association of Canada.

“If a Canadian retailer buys wholesale tires from a US wholesale distributor rather than through the manufacturer’s Canadian sales division, both the Canadian retailer and the US distributor have their supplies of tires cut off by the manufacturer. In the end it’s the Canadian consumer who gets gouged by higher tire prices.”

Notwithstanding tire manufacturers’ practices of barring cheaper US wholesale tires from being imported into Canada, even Canadian-made tires are more expensive in Canada than they are in the US. In October 2011, TDAC wrote to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty noting that, “Incredibly the wholesale prices of tires manufactured in Canada are 30 percent cheaper in the United States than in Canada.”

Bignell notes, “Given that the US and Canadian dollars have been at parity for a long time, that many tires sold at higher prices in Canada are made here and that there are no import duties or tariffs on imported tires, there is no excuse whatsoever for tire prices in Canada to be more than five percent higher than they are in the US. There is simply no rationale whatsoever for a tire made in Nova Scotia to cost a Nova Scotian more than an American.”

Over the next year TDAC will be undertaking a number of measures to protect Canadian consumers:

• A Canada-US border-wide, brand-by-brand tire price survey of passenger, light truck and medium-truck tire prices to highlight the worst offenders in penalizing Canadians on tire pricing;
• Publishing the results of those price surveys and making those results available to consumers and Canadian regulators;
• Petitioning tire manufacturers directly on behalf of Canadian tire consumers to get them to recognize the consumer impacts of the massive disparity between Canadian and US wholesale tire prices.

The basic premise of TDAC’s position to manufacturers is that “There is no excuse for Canadians paying more for tires than Americans do.”

The contract for 90 Xcelsior XD40 buses contains a firm order of 55 buses with options for an additional 35 buses. With an active fleet size today of approximately 409 buses delivered, MCTS currently operates a 100-percent New Flyer fleet.

“New Flyer is very proud to be awarded the bid to build transit buses for Milwaukee. We’ve come a long way from our first build with MCTS and we continue to be committed to building and strengthening our relationship with them long into the future,” said Paul Soubry, New Flyer’s president and CEO. “This bus order will be MCTS first experience with New Flyer’s ‘best in class’ Xcelsior model. The Xcelsior delivers improved life cycle savings and a more comfortable transit experience for both the passengers and drivers.”

This award was part of the group of firm and option orders for 509 equivalent units received before the end of 2012. The 55 buses should begin production in the first quarter of 2013. All buses are expected to be delivered by the summer of 2013.

The units being installed are the new SFM 7000 model, with single and dual-mode capabilities. The SFM 7000 is a customizable advanced module with unique data capture capabilities designed for the telematics needs of large enterprise clients. BSM designs all of its hardware and software in-house.

The LAV III, an armoured personnel carrier. The $1.064-billion contract for 550 upgraded LAV IIIs was awarded to GDLS-C in October 2011. And, in November 2012, the government exercised its option to purchase a further 66 LAV IIIs at a cost of $151 million, bringing the total number of vehicles to 616.

The LAV III project introduces new technology to improve parts of the vehicle that experience heavy strain and to better prepare it for future threats. Protection, mobility and fire power will be improved in the 616 LAV IIIs, extending their lifespan into the 2030s.

The development of the LAV III is part of the project to acquire the next generation of land combat vehicles announced in July 2009. The next milestone in the LAV III project will be the testing of the new vehicles.

In contrast to some of Apple’s product launches, however, the mood outside key Toronto stores was subdued. There was no lineup at the Rogers store that was the site of the iPhone’s launch in Canada and it was similarly quiet at Rogers headquarters, where chief executive Thorsten Heins met with the telecom carrier’s CEO for a staged event.

The launch comes after several delays left some longtime BlackBerry fans sticking with their older phones or switching to a competitor’s phone. Some analysts have been concerned that BlackBerry’s launch came too late to recover the lustre of its name.

But anecdotes from the UK, where the phone launched last week, suggest the new BlackBerry is selling at a steady pace. The company’s stock was up again in pre-market trade in the US, following a 15 percent increase February 4. Despite the recent runup, BlackBerry stock remains below a 52-week high set January 24 following a spate of declines attributed to profit-taking by investors.

BlackBerry chief executive Thorsten Heins told the BNN business television channel that early sales in the United Kingdom and pre-registration results in Canada are encouraging.

“I don’t have the firm number yet but we also see people migrating from other platforms back to BlackBerry. I think this is a very important snippet. We need to verify that data, but if we can achieve that I think we’ve achieved a lot.”

Heins said the BlackBerry’s launch into the US, the company’s biggest customer base by far, is coming later because of the extensive testing required by the US carriers and the regulatory process.

“I’d love to be earlier. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not happy with it, but at the moment it is what it is. What we have said is we’re shipping in the first quarter of 2013, and that’s what we’re doing,” Heins said.

Fans of the phone’s physical keyboard will have to wait awhile longer—the new keypad version of the device won’t launch until sometime in April. The Z10 is expected to typically sell for $150 on a three-year contract. Koodo is selling it without a contract for $550.

While the physical keyboard has long been an essential and beloved tool of so-called CrackBerry addicts, the move to release the touchscreen first was signalled by the company last spring.

The revamped models, which are powered by a whole new operating system, are widely seen as a make-or-break product for the company. After two major delays some in the technology sector had grown skeptical over whether the former Research In Motion would survive long enough in its current form to get the phones to the market.

The BlackBerry 10 devices were originally due for release last year but chief executive Thorsten Heins decided they still weren’t ready for the public, even though they had already been delayed once before.

It was one of the difficult decisions the CEO had to make when he took over the top position last January from then co-CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis. He also dug deep into the company’s operations to cut costs, which included closing manufacturing facilities and making thousands of job cuts.

After years of dominating the smartphone industry, RIM had become a punching bag for its competitors. Apple’s iPhone and numerous Android devices have stolen away a significant portion of the BlackBerry company’s marketshare in North America and Europe with flashier touchscreen devices.

“We are pleased to see Freedom continue to gather momentum as we enter 2013,” said Stephen Pineau, president and CEO of Viscount. “We are seeing numerous benefits from the continuing release of federal government bid specifications in various states for access control solutions. Our ability to provide higher levels of security at a dramatically reduced cost is the reason we are winning these awards, and why we remain confident in our growth going forward.”

Freedom Encryption Bridge is an access control system that allows entry devices (IC cards, RFID readers, biometrics) to be connected to standard building IT networks without requiring control panels programmed from a PC.