Be kind – fast-forward

Director Michel Gondry, when partnered with writer Charlie Kaufman, can make an intriguingly offbeat feature like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, plunging us down the rabbit hole of love’s brain-teasing twists and emotional turns. And Gondry, together with a talented roster of musicians, can make a compelling performance documentary like Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, letting us savour the sounds onstage even while feeling the raw energy in the ‘hood. But when he’s left to his own devices, unaided by Kaufman’s clever script or reality’s pleasing sound checks, it’s a whole different story: Ain’t nothing remotely kind about Be Kind Rewind. Apparently pitched somewhere between a farce and a fable, this flick is neither. Just foolish. And frustrating. And, mostly, damned annoying.

Fido Debuts Motorola Q9; Samsung JACK

Fido has added the Samsung JACK and the Motorola Q9 to its line-up of mobile phone offerings. Both models operate on the 3G standard, and on the Windows Mobile 6 platform, which offers the ability to perform tasks like viewing and editing Microsoft Word and Excel documents, and viewing presentations.

Using either of these devices, customers would be able to browse the Internet, and send and receive e-mails from up to five accounts, including Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, and other POP/IMAP accounts. They will also have access to the relatively new Out and About portal, which provides information on local bars, restaurants, concerts, and events in six Canadian cities.

Personal data on 28,000 schoolchildren stolen

A laptop computer holding a database with personal information on thousands of Newfoundland schoolchildren was among several stolen during a robbery, school officials said Thursday.

The database — with information on 28,000 students, most in the St. John’s area — includes names, addresses, medicare numbers, phone numbers and the names of guardians, the Eastern School District board said.