China Still an iRisk to US Companies, Government
Geeks interested in security may find jobs with the news that at least 12 different Chinese hacking groups are responsible for cyberbreak-ins, stealing billions of dollars worth of data. In a related issue, there is the possibility that hacking could upset the supply of oil. Security geeks should see the demand for their services continue to grow.
Tech Industry Wants Canadian Goverment to Migrate to Cloud
Dave McDonald, CEO of Softchoice Corp. and the chair of the Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC) board of governors, feels that the Canadian Government should migrate to cloud computing or risk being "technologically incapacitated". Nice thought, but given the above and the nature of the data used by the government, the big question becomes, "How secure is it?"
Bell Runs Afoul of CRTC Regs
Related to the discussion of Tamara's news about the sale of MLSE, Bell has been found in breech of CRTC rules by limiting the streaming of NHL and NFL games to just Bell wireless subscribers. "Canadians shouldn't be forced to subscribe to a wireless service from a specific company to access their favourite content," said Konrad von Finckenstein, chair of the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission.
English to English Translation App
Tricolour Software of Newfoundland has developed a Newfoundland to English translatation app for the iPhone. The Whaddaya App allows users to enter the Newfoundland phrase to get a plain English explanation, with proceeds from the 99 cent app going towards a no-kill shelter. While this app has a humourous bent, it could be the forerunner of apps allowing visitors to understand local idioms, even if both the visitor and the local allegedly speak the same language.
Reading for Pleasure in Decline
Recent studies are showing that Ontario schoolchildren aren't reading for pleasure as much as in prior years. Normally, I would have passed on this for a news round up; however, an article in the November/December 2011 Scientific American Mind ("The Death of Preschool" by Paul Tullis, behind a paywall) shows a disturbing trend. The push for standardized testing may be working against getting an education.
–Scott D
