US government faces criticism over Microsoft security failures: Hashtag Trending, Tuesday April 16, 2024
Solar power is the largest source of new US electricity generation for the sixth month in a row, Microsoft is hiking prices on Dynamics 365 business apps by up to 16.7%, VMware’s Desktop Virtualization products rebranded as “Omnissa”, Tesla is…
Virtual Avatars fueled by Generative AI increasing B2B sales and marketing scalability
Vidyard, a popular video messaging company, has recently announced its entry into the virtual digital avatar market and secured new funding of $15M from Export Development Canada (EDC), BMO Capital Partners, and existing investors Battery Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, and…
Coffee Briefing Mar. 5 – High speed internet access for 150 NWT households; Canadian small business owners slow in generative AI uptake; Mistral AI open source model now available on IBM’s watsonx; and more
Coffee Briefings are timely deliveries of the latest ITWC headlines, interviews, and podcasts. Today’s Coffee Briefing is delivered by IT World Canada’s editorial team! Missed the last Coffee Briefing? We’ve got you covered. Government of Canada invests over $2 million to…
AI usage the highest among Quebec employees: KPMG
In a new report, KPMG has broken down the provincial adoption rate of generative AI across Canada, and found that Quebec led with 26 per cent, ahead of Alberta (23 per cent), British Columbia (22 per cent) and Ontario (20.5…
Fab wars: Intel, Tata Group, CG Power all launch foundry plans
With competition heating up in the foundry business – India this week approved three new semiconductor plants involving Tata Group and CG Power,, and is looking to achieve dominance in the industry – existing foundries have to up their game….
Carbon emissions by mobile network operators declining: GSMA
The carbon emissions of mobile network operators declined by six per cent globally between 2019-2022, according to the GSMA’s fourth Mobile Net Zero report, which was released today at MWC Barcelona 2024. The report reveals regional variations in the reduction of operational…
MWC Barcelona 2024 news roundup: Telecom, AI, security and more
MWC Barcelona 2024 comes to a close today. Here’s a look at some of the announcements that the event brought to light, from industry leaders like Cisco, Google, Intel and others, spanning artificial intelligence, telecom, security and sustainability. Telecom Cisco…
MWC 2024: 5G momentum on a roll with 1.6 billion connections worldwide
New figures from GSMA Intelligence (GSMAi) released today at MWC Barcelona 2024 reveal that 5G connections are expected to represent over half (51 per cent) of mobile connections by 2029. Authors of the report note that 5G has been the fastest mobile…
MWC 2024: A wild Journey to the Future in Hall 6
The future and all that is possible was on full display this week at MWC Barcelona 2024 in Hall Six of Gran Via, the site of an innovation zone that featured hands-on and immersive demos of things ranging from devices…
AWS, Microsoft, Ericsson, Nvidia and more form new alliance to integrate AI in cellular technology
At MWC 2024 in Barcelona, a number of companies joined forces to form the AI-RAN (AI-radio access network) alliance, a new initiative to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into cellular technology. The founding members include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Arm, DeepSig,…
MWC 2024: Intel adds AI processors, launches the new vPro platform
Intel yesterday launched its commercial line of Intel Core Ultra processors featuring NPUs (neural processing units) to accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) at MWC Barcelona 2024. The processors, whose consumer versions were announced in December, include the new Intel vPro platform…
Microsoft strikes deal with Mistral AI; EU lawmakers demand investigation
A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed to CNBC this morning that its multi-year partnership with Mistral AI includes an investment of US$16 million, which would convert into equity in the company’s next funding round. European Union regulators are now looking to examine…
FedDev Ontario invests $17 million in 12 companies to advance quantum computing
Today, the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) announced a total repayable investment of C$17.2 million to help 12 local companies commercialize their quantum products for the domestic and international markets and support 150 jobs. These 12…
Coffee Briefing Feb. 27 – Apple introduces post quantum cryptography in iMessage; Seneca Polytechnic and Microsoft partner; New CRTC vice chairperson; and more
Coffee Briefings are timely deliveries of the latest ITWC headlines, interviews, and podcasts. Today’s Coffee Briefing is delivered by IT World Canada’s editorial team! Missed the last Coffee Briefing? We’ve got you covered. Apple introduces quantum-secure cryptography in iMessage Apple has…
Making AI explainable to bridge trust gaps: Forrester weighs in
Artificial intelligence has invaded industries and companies of all sizes, but the backstory of what makes these tools powerful and erratic alike remains somewhat obscure. Understanding how and why AI systems arrive at their outputs, Forrester explained in a new…
Charting Canada’s AI future: Firms must move quick, innovate, panel says
A recent Empire Club of Canada luncheon panel explored what Canadian organizations must do to keep up with the rest of the world when it comes to developing artificial intelligence (AI) advances, and, equally important, what the fallout will be…
The world according to Hinton: Slowing AI down is not the answer
Eight months ago, Geoffrey Hinton, the esteemed professor emeritus at the University of Toronto who resigned his post at Google over concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) advances, stated in a speech at Collision 2023 that the world is “entering a…
Coffee Briefing Feb. 20 – Google Cloud stops charging customers for moving to another cloud provider; Thomson Reuters launches AI legal assistant in Canada; HP announces Digital Equity Accelerator program; and more
Coffee Briefings are timely deliveries of the latest ITWC headlines, interviews, and podcasts. Today’s Coffee Briefing is delivered by IT World Canada’s editorial team! Missed the last Coffee Briefing? We’ve got you covered. Google Cloud stops charging departing customers for data…
Coffee Briefing Feb. 13 – TD trains employees using VR; Galaxy Broadband provides satellite services to Shared Services Canada; Canada ranks 14th globally in mobile network reliability; and more
Coffee Briefings are timely deliveries of the latest ITWC headlines, interviews, and podcasts. Today’s Coffee Briefing is delivered by IT World Canada’s editorial team! Missed the last Coffee Briefing? We’ve got you covered. TD uses VR to train branch employees TD…
Forget Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) – the big impact is already here and it’s called AI agents
I watch a lot of YouTube – so you don’t have to. In this series I’ll bring you some of the best of what I’m watching, and sometimes, as in this post, I’ll provide my own commentary. YouTube is buzzing…
Telus spearheads virtualized roaming gateways, in collaboration with AWS and Samsung
International roaming speeds are usually slower than those on a provider’s own network because traffic has to be routed through its home country. This could soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a new collaboration between Telus, Amazon…
NRC announces funding for quantum collaborations
The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) today announced that 11 Canadian companies have been selected to receive funding to collaborate on projects with partners in the U.K., following a joint Canada-U.K. call for proposals by the NRC and UK…
Slack ads AI to increase productivity and crush information overload: Hashtag Trending, Thursday, February 15, 2024
Slack adds AI features to combat information overload, Akamai bets on edge computing to compete with the giant public cloud players. Google uses AI to launch a devastating attack on fake reviews, an update on our Mozilla story and AI…
Info-Tech report outlines 5 GenAI initiatives CIOs must key in on
As generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) continues to reshape the digital landscape, CIOs and IT leaders are at a pivotal point, tasked with navigating the profound opportunities and challenges this disruptive technology presents, a new report from Info-Tech Research Group concludes….
EY Canada, Microsoft launch climate stress testing initiative for FIs
Consulting and accounting firm EY Canada today launched the EY Climate Stress Testing and Scenario Analysis solution, a service running on Microsoft Azure which it said is designed to help safeguard Canada’s financial sector against the impacts of climate change….
AI in network orchestration spend to reach US$20B by 2028: Juniper
A new report from Juniper Research indicates that global network operator spend on artificial intelligence (AI) for network orchestration will generate US$20 billion by 2028; rising 240 per cent from the US$6 billion expected to be generated this year. Authors…
Tech sector navigating layoffs while riding GenAI wave, says GlobalData
The technology industry, says GlobaData, has already witnessed substantial changes in 2024, including layoffs by big companies such as Google, Amazon and Meta, a trend, it adds, that began last year, affecting over 191,000 employees, driven by factors like post-COVID-19…
Google launches Bard GenAI in Canada, rebrands it to Gemini
Google today announced that its generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) chatbot, Bard, is now available to Canadians, in both English and French. At the same time, it announced that Bard has been renamed Gemini. Sissie Hsiao, vice president and general manager,…
LG Gram 15 2023 review: Impossibly light with lots of power
Any laptop user who routinely works with numbers faces the same challenge – they either need to use an external keyboard or carry a separate numeric keypad to work efficiently. Either way, it’s a pain: one more thing to carry…
Meta may not bring some products to Canada unless proposed AI law changed, Parliament told
Officials from four of the biggest tech companies in the world — Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Meta — largely offered polite criticism of the country’s proposed artificial intelligence law to Canadian parliamentarians for over an hour at a hearing Wednesday….
Coffee Briefing Feb. 6 – AWS and University of Alberta collaborate to launch AI centre; Cisco survey reveals data privacy trends; ISED seeks to give Indigenous applicants priority access to spectrum; and more
Coffee Briefings are timely deliveries of the latest ITWC headlines, interviews, and podcasts. Today’s Coffee Briefing is delivered by IT World Canada’s editorial team! Missed the last Coffee Briefing? We’ve got you covered. AWS and University of Alberta team up to…
Cisco launches AI features, Nvidia partnership in Amsterdam
Today, at Cisco Live Amsterdam, Cisco made a series of announcements designed to add more artificial intelligence (AI) power and capabilities across the organization’s portfolio. “The opportunity to power progress has never been greater,” said Oliver Tuszik, senior vice president…
Bell, Mila to embark on joint deep learning AI initiative
Artificial intelligence research institute Mila and Bell Canada have announced an 18-month collaborative project that, the two said, will apply deep learning neural network algorithms to Bell’s systems and data. The lab, which specializes in artificial intelligence (AI) advances, was…
Pass Canadian AI law as soon as possible, expert tells Parliament
A Canadian who is one of the world’s leading thinkers on artificial intelligence says Canada’s proposed AI law needs to be passed as soon as possible. “We urgently need agile AI legislation, and I think this law is moving in…
Retailers at critical juncture due to severe tech gaps: SOTI study
A new study released today reveals that the retail industry in Canada and elsewhere around the world faces major challenges as a result of consumers experiencing a major “disconnect between their shopping expectations and the in-store reality.” The study, conducted…
Proposed Canadian AI law is like a race car without an engine, expert tells Parliamentary committee
The Liberal government’s proposed law controlling the use of artificial intelligence applications is like a badly built racing car, a computing expert has told a Parliamentary committee. But instead of putting the proposed Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA) in…
Hashtag Trending Jan.15-Microsoft’s software update triggers installation hassles; eBay fined for harassment campaign; AI girlfriend apps
Microsoft users hit a rough patch – literally. The EU is challenging Apple to allow third party app stores on its devices, eBay is fined 3 million dollars for harassing a blogger who posted an unfavourable review and surprise, surprise,…
Canadian CEOs worried about economic outlook, but expect turnaround with AI: Report
Over the past year, an increasing number of companies have worried that they will not survive amid rapid technological change and growing economic uncertainties unless they reinvent themselves, PwC’s 27th annual global CEO survey found. The report finds that artificial…
Coffee Briefing Jan. 30 – CGI and National Bank of Canada deepen partnership; OpenText’s new cloud editions release; Telus’ new AI report gathers a diversity of perspectives; and more
Coffee Briefings are timely deliveries of the latest ITWC headlines, interviews, and podcasts. Today’s Coffee Briefing is delivered by IT World Canada’s editorial team! Missed the last Coffee Briefing? We’ve got you covered. CGI and National Bank of Canada renew partnership…
FTC investigates AI oligopolies; calls on Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon to disclose investments in startups
Yesterday, following a half day summit hosted by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that convened experts to examine the key players and the litany of consumer protection issues arising from the mushrooming AI market, the agency announced that it…
Why Canadian provinces, territories need to regulate AI
The use of artificial intelligence in Canada’s federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments has to be regulated as much as its use in the private sector, a conference on AI in the public sector has been told. However, Stephen Toope,…
More work needed to blunt public’s AI privacy concerns: Report
Organizations aren’t making much progress in convincing the public their data is being used responsibly in artificial intelligence applications, a new survey suggests. The report, Cisco Systems’ seventh annual data privacy benchmark study, was released Thursday in conjunction with Data…
Booming data analytics and AI exacerbating tech talent shortage: Survey
Nearly 77 per cent of data professionals in Canada believe that the shortage of tech talent will continue throughout 2024, a new survey by Toronto-based IT consultancy firm Adastra found. This is mainly because of the accelerated adoption of data…
Global ransomware threat expected to rise with AI, U.K. cyber authority warns
Artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to increase the global ransomware threat over the next two years, U.K. cyber chiefs have warned in a new report published today by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). The report, entitled The near-term impact…
AI adoption in Canada rising, but upskilling remains top barrier: IBM
AI adoption among large organizations has remained steady globally, while Canada saw an uptick from 34 per cent in April 2023 to 37 per cent in November 2023, a new study by IBM Canada found. The company surveyed over 2,000…
Global tech spend set to grow a healthy 5.3% in 2024, says Forrester
Technology companies faced a difficult 2023 due to a range of issues, but this year looks far brighter, new findings from Forrester Research reveal. Forrester is predicting that, after last year, where the overall technology spend growth reached only 3.9…
Coffee Briefing Jan. 23 – FedDev Ontario supports ventureLAB; Telus’s new plan for low-income seniors; Intuit says Canadians do not want financial advisors to be replaced by AI; and more
Coffee Briefings are timely deliveries of the latest ITWC headlines, interviews, and podcasts. Today’s Coffee Briefing is delivered by IT World Canada’s editorial team! Missed the last Coffee Briefing? We’ve got you covered. FedDev Ontario invests $4.5 million in ventureLAB’s Hardware…
Drilling down into the impact AI is having on data centres, climate change
Lost in all of the hype around how artificial intelligence (AI) advances are going to change everything from how people work to how they function is just how much electrical power it will take to make this happen, and, equally…
Most enterprises still at beginning of their AI journeys: Report
Talk about the endless possibilities and impact of artificial intelligence is rampant, yet a new report by Everest Group shows that the majority of enterprises (83 per cent) are currently only testing the capabilities of AI through pilot programs, or…
Samsung launches AI-powered Galaxy S24 series
For the first half hour of Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event Wednesday, one could be forgiven for thinking that it was a software launch, as speaker after speaker touted Galaxy AI, the company’s new set of artificial intelligence (AI) tools driving…