Coffee Briefings are timely deliveries of the latest ITWC headlines, interviews, and podcasts. Today’s Coffee Briefing is delivered by IT World Canada reporter Tom Li, with files from the rest of the editorial team!
Missed last week’s Coffee Briefing? We’ve got you covered.
What’s new this week
Twitter rolls back design changes due to user eyestrain
Twitter is rolling back its interface redesign just days after releasing it. The intention was good; Twitter made several major changes to its user interface and applied a new font to its website and app hoping to increase accessibility. However, users with sensory sensitivities complained that the redesign has been causing eyestrain and headaches, which ultimately led to the reversal of the changes. But Twitter isn’t giving up. The company said it’s actively looking to address these issues and to continue to improve its platform’s accessibility.
Blue Origin sues U.S. government over SpaceX lunar lander contract
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin aerospace company is suing the U.S. government for awarding NASA’s lunar lander contract to Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Blue Origin and SpaceX had competed for NASA’s $2.9 billion contract to build a spacecraft for its manned lunar mission before it ultimately was awarded to SpaceX. However, Blue Origin wasn’t happy with the result. Jeff Bezos said that there were issues with NASA’s decision and the company wrote in the lawsuit that they must be addressed to restore fairness and create competition.
OneWeb satellite gains higher orbit with Hanwha investment, Northwestel connectivity MoU
Satellite telecommunications company OneWeb has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Canada’s Northwestel, heralding the start of a new business relationship. Together, the two are looking to bring more connectivity to remote mines, businesses and governments in Canada’s rural areas. OneWeb had been struggling financially and just barely managed to recover from bankruptcy last year after a $500 million investment from the U.K. and Bharti Global. Things are a bit brighter this year, however, as in addition to the MOU, OneWeb has also gained a $300 million equity investment from South Korea’s Hanwha Systems.
Bell 5G powers Tiny Mile food delivery robots in downtown Toronto
Bell is collaborating with robotics company Tiny Mile to provide 5G connectivity for the company’s food delivery robot fleet in downtown Toronto. Bell wrote in the press release that tele-operators will be able to pilot the robots more easily thanks to 5G’s faster sensor and reduced latency. In addition, the robots will use Bell’s multi-access edge computing service for ultra-low latency response functions such as collision avoidance. 5G’s high bandwidth will also allow the robots to stream data from more sensors and cameras to improve navigation around the busy city streets.
T-Mobile confirms data breach, says it’s investigating scope
T-Mobile is investigating a data breach after someone offered to sell its customers’ data on an online forum. According to Motherboard, the dataset being offered contains the information of 100 million customers, including their social security numbers, phone numbers, physical addresses, and driver license information. In an email to The Canadian Press on Monday, T-Mobile said it hasn’t determined whether personal data was actually involved nor has it confirmed the numbers of records affected. The investigation is ongoing.
More to explore
Intel’s announces ‘Alchemist’ consumer graphics
Intel has announced Intel Arc, its first consumer-focused high-performance graphics solution.
Interac’s new feature tracks Canadians expenses with a musical twist
Spending money can be music to your ears with Interac’s latest feature, the Sound of Spending, which sets shopping trends in Canada during the pandemic to music.
Federal government invests $1.44 billion in Telesat satellite internet
The federal government has announced an additional CA$1.44 billion in funding for Telesat, a Crown-owned Canadian satellite communication company, to build its Lightspeed low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite constellation.
New health tech innovation hub in the Waterloo-London region to create over 700 jobs
FedDev Ontario has announced an investment of $10 million for the development of a health technology innovation cluster in the Waterloo-London region by the University of Waterloo, in partnership with Western University, the City of Kitchener, and Medical Innovation Xchange, as well as other partners across southwestern Ontario.
Accenture hit by Lockbit ransomware, claims ‘no impact’
Global consulting giant Accenture was the victim of a ransomware attack by a gang known as Lockbit 2.0 last Wednesday.
Zoho launches no-code design studio for Zoho CRM personalization
Multinational web-based business tool provider Zoho today announced the launch of Canvas for Zoho customer relationship management (CRM), a no-code design studio aimed at enabling Zoho CRM personalization.
Channel Bytes August 13, 2021: Information snacks for busy partners
Staying informed is a constant challenge. There’s so much to do, and so little time. But we have you covered. Grab a coffee and take five while you nibble on these tidbits.
ITWC Podcasts
Listen to the latest episode of Hashtag Trending
Google is developing a feature that lets users control their Android phones using facial expressions, the U.S. government has launched an investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot system, and viral TikTok videos are increasing book sales at book retailer Indigo.
Listen to the latest episode of Cyber Security Today
Today’s episode covers the Windows Server PrintNightmare bugs, the apparent return of the AlphaBay criminal marketplace, a DDoS threat to network inspection devices and why you should check your home router
Listen to the latest episode of Hashtag Tendances (Hosted by Direction Informatique)
If you live in Quebec or prefer to consume the latest technology news in French, our sister publication Direction Informatique has you covered. Follow them on Twitter as well.
