05/16/2012 @ 11:21 am, OntarioMEDI
Rob Whent (rwhent@Think-2-Learn.com) is the President and CEO of Think2Learn and is the Entrepreneur in Residence at WEtech Alliance in Windsor, Ontario. Think2Learn is developing adaptive video game technology to assess and improve cognitive abilities in children with learning disabilities. Follow him on Twitter @swento
By Rob Whent
I have been an entrepreneur for a while now and when we start our new technology companies, we tend to think that applying for patents is the Holy Grail. We register domain names by the dozens (.ca, .us, .biz, .painintheneck) but we don’t always think about registering for the tried and true “Trademark” from the Canadian Trademark Office or the US Patent & Trademark office.
You remember the good old “TM” – you see it on virtually every product sold but trademarking your trade name is also an important thing to do. I know what you’re going to say – because I say it all the time - “I’m a start-up I HAVE NO MONEY” – and we are usually so shell-shocked at the price and complexity involved with applying for a patent for our Intellectual Property that more expenses to simply put a TM next to our trade name seems insane.
05/09/2012 @ 11:40 am, OntarioMEDI
Toronto-born Michael Barry is a professional cyclist who rides for Team Sky. Barry has carved out a niche that has seen him compete at the highest level as part of a number of successful teams including US Postal, Discovery Channel and Columbia-HTC.
He has captivated cycling fans during his 14-year pro career and shares his infectious love for the sport through his writing — he’s a regular blogger – Le Métier http://michaelbarry.ca/, he has written three books, and his pieces have appeared in the New York Times, the Toronto Star, and Bicycling Magazine, among others.
When we asked him about his favourite cycling innovation, his response was instant — the quick release.
by Michael Barry
On a cold winter day when I was 14, I set off from my parents’ house in central Toronto on my winter bike, a fixed-wheel drive with mudguards, heavy tires and generator lights. Under the saddle, I strapped a small bag filled with my spare tube, some tire levers and a patch kit. As I snaked my way through the neighbourhoods towards the rural roads north of the city, snow began to fall. Flurries swirled on the road with the gusts of wind before settling in the gutter. With each passing kilometre my hands started to sting from the cold. I could feel the bite of the icy air against my cheeks. But I pressed on.
