The summit featured keynotes from the likes of  William Clay Ford Jr. of the eponymous Ford Motor Company, Steve Ballmer of Microsoft and a host of other thought (and action) leaders from a spread of today’s most key industries.

While we weren’t able to be there in person, we sent three representatives to the engagement, Rebound, Garden Pond, and Blackboard, our three touch games included in the recently announced Win 7 Touch Pack.  They mainly hung around the Microsoft booth the whole time—they were very respectful about the amount of hors-d’oeuvres they consumed, though they weren’t exaclty demure, as rumors are spreading about how they were letting folks get their hands all over them.  I think a line even formed.

You can check out the full gallery of speakers and exhibitions here.

So imagine Brian Robbins’ delight yesterday when, just as he was getting ready to crack down on some serious iPhone development, he looks out his window and sees this:

From the email Brian sent to our Ottawa team:

“Today was a typical late-Spring / early-Summer day here in Denver. We very often have beautiful days early, strong thunderstorms in the mid-late afternoon and then it’s back to sunny and beautiful before sunset.

Today was a bit different though in that one of the tornados touched down at the mall “Southlands” which is about a mile from my house. I took a couple pictures before heading into the basement.”

Luckily, his Aunt Em was waiting in the cellar with a warm batch of cookies.

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Microsoft has recently announced the Win 7 Touch pack, demoing their upcoming system’s functionality for touch applications and games.  Included in the pack are three games that our Fuel Games team created: Garden Pond, Rebound and Blackboard.

To learn more about the games, check out the official post from Microsoft here.

For some more screenshots, take a look at Gizmodo’s post, or, you know, for simplicity’s sake, just scroll down.

Here’s hoping that everyone else got home safe from the conference..

From the Mike Shields article:

“Over 60 percent of people who sign up to use the popular (and tremendously discussed) micro-blogging platform do not return to using it the following month, according to new data released by Nielsen Online. In other words, Twitter currently has just a 40 percent retention rate, up from 30 percent in previous months — indicating an “I don’t get it factor” among new users that is reminiscent of the similarly over hyped Second Life from a few years ago.”

Twitter’s been huge in the business and social media enthusiast community for quite some time, but with recent buzz reaching a fever pitch, the mainstream is registering with the little bluebird in droves.  The growth chart, as Adweek puts it, looks like a hockey stick.

With over 60% of new users flying the coop, however, there’s something amiss.  If it hopes to improve its retention rate, Twitter needs to address the mainstream users that are signing in and asking “Why is this better than Facebook? All my friends are already there.”

The fact is, some of the most intriguing aspects of Twitter don’t necessarily come through immediately: the flattening of the online landscape, the ability to engage with spontaneous chat with an open community–including with some of the world’s most admired or influential people.  On the surface, a new user is presented with an opportunity to search for their friends (many of which will likely not be present) or simply begin ’shouting into the darkness’ (as the folks at SuperNews so poignantly put it), all the while wondering if their time couldn’t better be spent on their existing networks.

The fact is, Twitter is an excellent supplement to one’s existing networks, and can serve a very different purpose than Facebook, but for someone not willing to blindly jump into the community and start sharing with strangers, the existing technology of Facebook status updates work just as well, and in a place where the user is already at home.

Put simply, what Twitter needs to do is sell its benefits better on its own site.  Relying on word of mouth between evangelists has been wildly successful thus far, but with the growth curve bending every skyward, the mainstream audience registrants (who are missing the wealth of blog posts extolling Twitter’s many virtues) require a refreshed explanation that’ s more than simply “mom wants to know what you had for lunch“.

Celebrity tweets can only go so far, after all.

Visitors to the page are greeted with fully rendered 3D animations as they are introduced to Leaky Louie, Bobblehead Fred, and Whoopee Cushner, three unfortunate youths who refused to play nice with the pouch and suffered the consequences. Visitors are invited to re-experience the TV spots for some context and then delve directly into hilarious minigames that expand the stories laid out in the on-air campaign. Kids can interact with the “Disrespectoids”, play games that makes use of their bizarre physical punishments, and earn points and achievements.

What could be better, then, for the site’s inaugural few weeks than to already snag an FWA? This is the thirteenth FWA for Fuel, and, frankly, I feel that it’s a fantastic display of respect towards the pouch. Click on the image below to explore the unusual world of the Disrespectoids, but, for your own sake–leave the flippin’ pouch alone.

Luckily, we’ve got the technology to take you in for a closer look.  This is your chance to take the game for spin.

Wanna save a couple of clicks?  Head straight to our Pool Service page and play the game.

That’s why it’s flattering to know he feels the same about our renegade streak, and decided to prove it by popping by at Wednesday’s job fair and open house.  While he seemed to gravitate towards Warren, who didn’t waste an instant in stacking him up against the ghost of his father Jango, Boba made his rounds and soon was chatting up everyone in the house.

April Fuels Day attracted 500 individuals from Canada’s creative, technical and marketing community, and as expected, we were once again shown why Canada’s growing reputation for massive industry talent is well-warranted.  Sure, Boba was a bonus, but the the sheer amount of unarmored talent in our own backyard was not to bo overlooked.

A huge thanks to everyone who came by and showed off their stuff - we’re constantly impressed with the Ottawa creative community, and we’re blessed to be able to continue to expand our studio even when a lot of other industries are struggling.  For a deeper look at the party, check out our flickr slideshow of the party here.

Our latest project for Microsoft Learning gives you the opportunity to prove yourself against hundreds of the toughest questions in either an IT or Developer track, and compare yourself against your peers in a real-time leaderboard.

With questions pulled straight from the Microsoft certification exam, the game is intended almost like a primer for professionals who are considering getting certified, but want to test their mettle first.

If the thrill of combatting against your peers in a battle for tech supremacy isn’t enough, we’ve also included appearances from some beloved characters from Microsoft lore, such as Clippy the Paperclip, whom I believe needs no introduction.

Play the game at www.areyoucertifiable.com and let us know what you think!

Vans has run a name the game contest with its fans, and we’ll be eager to judge the entries and release the official name soon!