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!
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QueerTech launches the QT Podcast
Montreal-based non-profit advocacy group QueerTech has announced that it is launching The QT Podcast, which will host interviews with 2SLGBTQ+ professionals and entrepreneurs in the tech ecosystem.
Margi Marchetti, founder of the LinkedIn live series Non Binary Corner, which is dedicated to non-binary identities, will host the podcast.
“We’ve created this podcast to influence positive cultural change by creating a platform for sharing experiences, achievements, and challenges faced by members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community,” the release reads.
The podcast will feature queer leaders from companies including WealthSimple, Lighthouse Labs, Silverstring Media, Coach, Plank and Unimaize Technologies.
Sanofi Canada awards grants to enhance STEM learning for students
Healthcare and pharmaceutical company, Sanofi Canada has awarded four C$50,000 Sanofi Biogenius Canada Grants to public high schools from across the country.
The Sanofi Biogenius Canada Grant seeks to provide students with better access to scientific equipment and learning resources, creating more opportunities for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) education at school.
Recipients of the 2023 grants are:
- Lucky Lake School, Lucky Lake, Saskatchewan
- Académie Catholique Notre-Dame, Kemptville, Ontario
- East Wiltshire School, Cornwall, Prince-Edward-Island
- Mangilaluk School, Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories
The winning schools had to demonstrate commitment to hands-on STEM learning opportunities for all students, irrespective of their sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, family status, or location.
Recipients can use the funds to renovate existing laboratory facilities, purchase new scientific equipment, develop programs to enhance the impact of labs, etc.
Mozilla announces deadline for entry for the Rise 25 Awards
Mozilla, the non-profit tech company behind brands like Firefox, has announced its Rise 25 Awards final deadline for entry will be Jul. 17, 2023.
The awards seek to recognize and celebrate 25 game-changers who are shaping the future of the internet to be more ethical, responsible, and inclusive, ensuring a positive future for all.
A ceremony will also be held in October in Berlin to commemorate Mozilla’s 25th anniversary. The 25 honorees will receive round trip transportation to Berlin, as well as accommodations, so they can attend the ceremony in person.
Five honorees will be selected in the following categories:
- Artists – using the internet to create innovative and thought provoking digital artwork
- Activists – using the internet to drive social and political change
- Creators – filmmakers, educators, comedians, etc. using storytelling to create online communities
- Builders, engineers and technical people – building the infrastructure of the internet
- Advocates, policymakers, lawyers, etc – shaping the regulations and policies governing the internet
Submit a nominee for consideration here by Monday, July 17, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. PT. The 25 honorees will be announced at a later date.
Rogers adds Mexico to its 5G Infinite Premium plan
Customers who sign up on Rogers new 5G Infinite Premium plan can now enjoy the same talk, text and data benefits as in Canada and the U.S. when traveling to Mexico.
The 5G Infinite Premium Plan costs C$105 per month.
“Mexico remains one of the top travel destinations for Canadians, with over 2 million Canadians expected to travel there each year,” the company said. “Rogers understands the importance of staying connected while travelling and wants to ensure our customers can do so without worrying about unexpected charges or missing out on sharing their favourite adventures.
The company also noted that Rogers customers looking to travel elsewhere this summer and who are not subscribed to the Infinite Premium plan can stay connected in over 185 destinations for as low as C$12/day via the Roam Like Home plan.
Government of Canada and FCM team up to help municipalities achieve climate targets
The Government of Canada and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) have announced an investment of up to C$175,000 through the Green Municipal Fund (GMF) to support a “Municipal Impact Investment Fund” initiative led by MaRS Discovery District.
The GMF seeks to help local governments switch to sustainable practices faster.
The new initiative is part of MaRS’ Climate Action Accelerator to Net Zero (CAANZero) to assist cohorts of municipalities in achieving their climate goals.
The investment will help MaRS develop a governance and operational structure for CAANZero, including helping administrators explore approaches to aggregating retrofit projects to attract private capital investment into these projects.
“Municipalities are on the front lines of climate change. The partnership of the FCM and the Government of Canada through the GMF is helping communities transition to a healthy, net-zero emissions future,” said Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guibeault. “With smart investments, and active collaboration, our communities can aspire to a more sustainable and prosperous way of living.”
More to explore
AI for business: A conversation with IBM Canada’s McCann and Attaie
IBM Corp. is no newbie when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI). Its Watson system, which caught the public’s eye in 2011 when it won on the television game show Jeopardy, has been used for everything from chatbots to assisting in medical research to (I kid you not) concocting recipes for poutine.
State of connectivity in Canada, a year after the historic outage: Research
Last summer, Rogers experienced a massive internet and wireless service outage that debilitated thousands of businesses across Canada.
IT Trends in Canada: Insights from a Recent Study
In the fast-paced world of technology, staying informed about industry trends is crucial for IT professionals.
Siemens Xcelerator business platform goes live in Canada
Siemens Xcelerator, a scalable platform designed to speed up digital transformation (DX) initiatives for companies of any size, be they large multinationals or three-person start-ups, was formally launched in Canada last week at Collision 2023 in Toronto.
Canadian-based gold miner among the latest MOVEit data breach victims
One of the biggest gold and copper miners in the world is among the latest companies to be listed as victims of the vulnerability in Progress Sofware’s MOVEit file transfer platform, according to a cybersecurity researcher.
Bill C-18: Major Quebec cities and companies suspend advertising on Facebook, Instagram
Hours after the federal government announced that it is suspending advertising on Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, the province of Quebec, City of Montreal, Quebec City, Laval, Longueuil and Gatineau followed suit.
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.
Listen to the latest episode of Hashtag Trending
Hashtag Trending Jul. 11- Companies drown in AI; Threads new playground for cyberattackers; Oracle a champion of open source
Listen to the latest episode of Cybersecurity Today
Cyber Security Today, July 10, 2023 – A second insurance company sideswiped by the MOVEit hack, a Truebot malware warning, and more
Listen to the latest episode of Hashtag Tendances
If you live in Québec, or prefer to consume the latest technology news in French, our sister publication Direction Informatique has you covered. Follow them on Twitter as well.