Many Facebook users saw their feeds flooded with the following message this week:

"In response to the new Facebook guidelines I hereby declare that my copyright is attached to all of my personal details, illustrations, comics, paintings, photos and videos, etc. (as a result of the Berner Convention).

For commercial use of the above my written consent is needed at all times!"

The message goes on to say that everyone is recommended to copy and paste the notice to their own wall, in order to prevent Facebook or anyone else from using or distributing any of the material and the content of the profile is "private and confidential information."

It's a nice thought, and many people believed that by posting the message to their account, their creative properties shared to Facebook would be protected.

Unfortunately, it's about as legally binding as standing in a public place and shouting that everything you say and do is now copyrighted.

[ Related: Facebook to have friend-free feeds, featuring

Read More »from Facebook privacy notice is a hoax, so don’t bother posting it

Nintendo Wii Mini (screengrab)In a rare Canadian exclusive, Nintendo announced today that it will be launching a miniature version of its Wii console, the Wii Mini, ahead of the holiday season on December 7th.

For $99, Canadians will be able to pick up the Wii Mini in matte black with a red border and matching red controller and nunchuck. The console is "designed exclusively to play Wii games" BGR reports, so no backwards compatibility with GameCube games like the full-sized Wii, which has been on the market in North America since 2006.

[ Related: Wii U debuts with some issues, but its biggest obstacles are yet to come ]

In fact, the only games the Wii Mini will play are hard-copy Wii games. The Wii Mini has no Internet connectivity, which means no Virtual Console games or download-only titles, as well as no online features in other games.

Having said all that, though, this low-priced move could prove extremely beneficial to two key groups: families who found the original Wii too cost-prohibitive, and gamers who

Read More »from Wii Mini to launch exclusively in Canada for $99

All-Star Guitar by ION Audio (Handout)Anyone who has ever picked up a plastic guitar to play Rock Band or Guitar Hero has likely been mocked by someone who can play an actual guitar. Well, this product likely isn't going to completely win them over, but you might be able to convince them that the guitar skills you're learning on the All-Star Guitar are at least transferable.

The All-Star Guitar by ION Audio lets you turn your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch into a full-sized electric guitar. Place your iPad directly into the holder (which also accommodates the iPhone or iPod touch when the included adapter is used), open up a guitar-playing app and start on your way to being a rock superstar.

While you can use the All-Star Guitar with several different music programs, including Apple's Garage Band, ION offers a free app in the App Store designed to work with the guitar. The app offers three modes: Free Jam, which lets you play whatever you like without instruction; Learn Basics, which provides instruction on basic guitar chords

Read More »from Must-Have Monday: Become a rock god with this guitar for your iPad

'Tis the season to buy gadgets for loved ones — or, hey, why not yourself, too? — and this year there's no shortage of amazing tech toys to suit varying tastes and budgets.

In this informal video I shot for ToroMagazine.com, I show some of my favourite gadgets of 2012, including tablets (iPad mini, Microsoft Surface and Samsung's latest Android slate), music gadgets (headphones and wireless speaker systems), a Canon dSLR, and more:

I also went to NYC last week to check out Sony's mammoth 4K TV -- boasting a resolution that's four times greater than a regular 1080p HDTV -- but be sure to bring your wallet as it'll set you back $25,000 if you want to bring this puppy home (er, check to make sure you have room for it). Really, you have to see the quality of this thing at your local Sony store as it's ridiculous.

In this video, I also look at other high-tech toys including Wi-Fi-enabled Blu-ray players -- to turn a regular TV into a "smart" one -- as well as Mattel's Yippits toys for

Read More »from Video: High-tech holiday gift ideas

If you have trouble getting to sleep at night, there's a good chance that the smartphone in your hand or the TV working in the background are partially to blame.

Steps to creating a positive sleep environment, according to Canadian Living, include getting rid of anything that detracts from making the bedroom a place of sleep and intimacy; getting rid of all lights in the room; and eliminating any distracting noises. Unfortunately, tech devices can cause all of these distractions interrupting our sleep — but that doesn't stop many Canadians from checking their phones right before bed, or watching TV before turning in for the night.

Take Part, a U.S. website focused on promoting awareness about certain social issues, has created an infographic to help explain just how different technology is impacting the sleep of people from every generation. While it uses American data from the annual Sleep in America poll, it still provides a good guideline as to who is most likely to sacrifice sleep

Read More »from Not sleeping properly? Blame technology for those restless nights

For the non-gamer, buying video game gifts for the teen or adult in your life can be a very daunting task. With hundreds of titles available, how do you choose the one that will make them exclaim, "Oh man, that's so AWESOME!" when they tear open the wrapping paper?

While far from an exhaustive list, we've rounded up five of the hottest video games that will be gracing wishlists this holiday season and a little bit about each one to help you pick just the right gift for your gamer. (All Metacritic scores are out of 100)

Halo 4
Platforms: Xbox 360
Metacritic Score: 87
Rating: M (Mature)

Longtime fans of the Halo series might be apprehensive at seeing the series leave the hands of Bungie to be picked up by 343 Industries, but in case you haven't heard already, it looks like they've lived up to those lofty expectations. With challenging new enemies to face, a vibrant new planet to explore and a few new weapons, there's enough to give fans something different to experience while going back

Read More »from Holiday tech gift guide: Five hot video games for teen and adult gamers

In case you missed it (and we wouldn't be surprised if you did), Nintendo launched the Wii U this past Sunday, officially kicking off the next generation of video game consoles. Yet despite quick first day sales and a pre-Christmas launch, things aren't all smooth sailing for the video game giant.

First, there's the lackluster launch that took place on November 18. Instead of a much-hyped midnight launch like what games like Call of Duty: Black Ops II or Assassin's Creed III recently got, Canada's biggest dedicated video game retailer EB Games Canada opted to skip any late night sales. Customers had to pick them up when stores opened at 9 a.m. or 10 a.m. on Sunday morning.

Early indications suggest that the console sold well on its first day on the market, selling out in many places across the U.S. which will likely only drive demand going into the holiday season.  But for those who did manage to get a Wii U home, the problems didn't end there: once set up, players were faced with a

Read More »from Wii U debuts with some issues, but its biggest obstacles are yet to come

While retailers are looking forward to increased foot traffic through their establishments in the coming months, they aren't thrilled at the increase in shoplifting that comes along with it. Some retailers are taking a different approach to theft prevention this year, and they're hoping to prove that they're no dummies.

Some retailers in the U.S. and Europe will be placing EyeSee mannequins on their store floors, which can do more than just creep out shoppers. The EyeSee is equipped with a camera in one eye that keeps watch for shoplifters.

And if that doesn't weird you out, try this on for size: the EyeSee is being used for market research, too, keeping track of shopper age, race and gender as well as how long shoppers spend around certain displays, CNET reports.

[ More Right Click: Oprah tweets love of Microsoft Surface tablet from her iPad ]

The facial-recognition software is developed by the Italian company behind the models, Almax SpA, and computer vision firm Kee Square. The

Read More »from EyeSee mannequins are watching you while you shop