In August, Canadian space hardware manufacturer MDA Space signed a short-lived, $1.8-billion CAD contract with American telecom EchoStar. A class-action lawsuit now alleges that the company failed to disclose the risks associated with that contract and that insiders “unjustly enriched” themselves in the month before it was terminated. The class-action suit, which was launched by…
In the high-risk, high-stakes world of industrial robotics, adding student engineers to the team was a game-changing decision that helped Avestec Technologies take flight. “Students come with fresh eyes and new ideas that some senior talent cannot see.” Reza Tavakoli, Avestec Established in 2017, Avestec develops flying robots that inspect critical infrastructure for major oil…
Daly Brown spent more than a decade in defence, building battlefield networks and aerospace systems designed to work when failure isn’t an option. Now he’s applying that expertise to Canada’s critical infrastructure. “These are high-consequence, high-stakes environments where functional safety is paramount.” Daly Brown,Metropolitan Technologies His Ottawa startup, Metropolitan Technologies, co-founded with longtime colleague Nick…
Canada is reportedly considering joining Australia in banning youth from accessing social media. But should it? Last week, the Globe and Mail and Politico reported that Ottawa was considering a ban as one of multiple ways to better protect young people from online harms such as cyberbullying, addiction, the posting of CSAM, or child sexual…
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM When snowflakes start falling or the rain turns to sleet, most drivers know to be extra cautious. However, not everyone is aware that winter has a trick up its sleeve that’s much harder to see coming: black ice. It’s that nearly invisible, glassy layer of ice that can turn…
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Living in one of the most expensive cities on Earth just got a little easier for families. In a major move to tackle affordability, San Francisco will now offer free childcare to families earning under $230,000 a year, and a 50 percent subsidy to those earning up to $310,000….
At the World Economic Forum (WEF) last week, all eyes were on Canada as Mark Carney made what some dubbed “the most important foreign policy speech in years.” But the prime minister wasn’t the only Canadian making waves in Davos. UpLink is the World Economic Forum’s early-stage innovation accelerator that helps impact-focused entrepreneurs scale through…
A Laval, Que.-based security tech firm says it’s seeing customer interest rise for its body cameras from a surprising source—retailers looking to equip their workers with portable eyes on the sales floor. “Bottom line, we can’t control what the people do with our camera.” Eric Tasso, Ionodes Ionodes, which sells video surveillance software and hardware,…
Richard Sutton, the University of Alberta (U ofA) professor whose research into machine learning helped advance AI, will receive the University of Alberta’s highest honour this March. “Richard Sutton’s groundbreaking work in artificial intelligence has had a transformative impact in helping to build one of the world’s great universities for the public good.” Nizar Somji,…
Five months after ousting longtime leader Mark Barrenechea amidst declining revenue, OpenText has found the guy it believes can bring those numbers back up. Antoun is claiming the position from interim CEO James McGourlay, who will shift to another role in OpenText’s executive leadership. The Kitchener-Waterloo-based company announced the appointment of Ayman Antoun as its…
