Archive for December, 2021

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TELUS Ventures Announces New Investments To improve Sustainable Agricultural Practices

Posted in Commentary with tags on December 16, 2021 by itnerd

Ukko Agro Ltd., a Toronto-based technology company that provides plug and play predictive analytics for the agriculture sector, today announced the closing of its $5.1 million Series Seed investment round. The financing was led by Emmertech, with participation by Ag Capital Canada, TELUS Ventures, Whitecap Venture Partners, and PIC Investment Group.

Ukko Agro was founded in 2017 by Ketan Kaushish and Avi Bhargava, with the vision of instilling predictability and transparency logistics across the agriculture value chain to help grow successful crops. Since then, Ukko has become a strong software and predictive analytics company and has developed the capability to rapidly build predictive models, in house, for disease, insect, crop growth and irrigation forecasting.     

Ukko helps farmers increase their precision in the application of pesticides, water, and nutrients, thereby enabling higher profitability. Leveraging the power of IoT (Internet of Things), agricultural science, and machine learning to provide information in real time, Ukko Agro is creating plug and play solutions which analyze data streams to generate intelligence that can be plugged into existing FMS (Farm Management System) platforms.

Enhancing the sustainability of farm operations is a key mission of Ukko Agro. The company’s analytics help to provide greater predictive capability in managing agronomy, supporting the transition from reactive to proactive decision-making to optimize time and resources. 

Ukko Agro is a plug and play predictive analytics platform founded in Toronto, in 2018. Ukko’s predictive analytics tool, ForeSite, helps farmers make better proactive decisions on application of crop inputs and leverages on these decisions to drive proactive customer engagement and better demand forecasting for ag-input retailers and enterprises. The company is actively recruiting for multiple roles within their team. For more information, visit: https://ukko.ag/.  

Emmertech is an agtech fund built from the industry outwards, with an investor base that includes some of Canada’s most innovative farmers, agribusiness owners, agriculture-centred insurers & financial institutions, and Canada’s biggest agricultural province through Innovation Saskatchewan. Emmertech is fund-managed by Conexus Venture Capital, built with the vision that Canada can become a global leader in agriculture innovation if our founders are given proper access to early stage venture capital. https://emmertech.ca/

Ag Capital Canada (ACC) is a private equity fund which invests in Canadian ag and food innovation and small business growth. ACC aims to discover, develop and nurture Canadian agricultural businesses through capital investment, business-management mentorship and entrepreneurial expertise. For more information, visit: http://www.agcapitalcanada.com.

As the strategic investment arm of TELUS Corporation, TELUS Ventures is one of Canada’s most active corporate venture capital funds. TELUS Ventures invests globally in companies from Seed to Pre-IPO with a focus on innovative technologies such as AgTech, HealthTech, Connected Consumer, IoT, AI, and Security to actively drive new solutions across the TELUS ecosystem. Led by a team of experienced operators, investors, and executives, the TELUS Ventures team is passionate about creating positive social impact through financial tools and has invested in more than 90 companies since inception.For more information please visit: ventures.telus.com.

PIC Investment Group is a family office, based in Saskatoon, with operating companies in several businesses, including: chemical production, packaging & distribution; transportation; real estate; aviation; insurance; propane and tourism. PIC also has many minority equity positions in businesses complimentary to our operating companies or in the agriculture or health industries. For more information, visit: www.picgroup.ca. 

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Best Buy Pulls TCL Google TVs Due To Slow Buggy Software

Posted in Commentary with tags , on December 16, 2021 by itnerd

This could not come at a worse time for TV maker TCL as a lot of TVs are sold during the holidays. Retailer Best Buy has pulled some of their TVs from sale according to The Verge:

Best Buy — the exclusive US retailer of the TCL Google TVs — has abruptly removed both models from its store listings, and TCL confirms to The Verge that there are issues being ironed out.

Some early buyers of the 6-Series with Google TV (model R646) have complained about what they describe as a buggy, sluggish user interface. I myself have been reviewing a 65-inch model over the past couple weeks, and while the Google TV home screen seems to work relatively well, it didn’t take long for me to notice some general slowness when pulling up and going through the settings menu. There can also be a lag before the TV reacts to remote control commands. My roommates have observed crashing apps and a few instances where the TV itself froze and became unresponsive. Some online reviews cite more annoying problems that require unplugging the TV altogether.

This isn’t a good look for TCL as they are known for selling a lot of TV that are feature rich at a good price. The net result is that people will likely look elsewhere for their next TV this holiday season.

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PDI Software Offers Up Predictions For 2022

Posted in Commentary with tags on December 16, 2021 by itnerd

It’s that time of the year were predictions for 2022 are flowing in. With that in mind, PDI Software has the following commentary from Chris Berry, CTO and GM of Security Solutions, and Brandon Logsdon, President and GM, Marketing Cloud Solutions, regarding their 2022 Industry Predictions.

Their predictions are as follows: 

Chris Berry, CTO and GM of Security Solutions, PDI Software: “In 2022, we’ll continue to see the proliferation of ransomware hitting all sizes of businesses. But we’ll also see an escalation of the ransomware attack model with extortionware. With more businesses maintaining secure backups to avoid paying a ransom to unlock encrypted data, cybercriminals are now threatening to publicly expose sensitive data. Doing so can cause significant business risk, especially when the blast radius extends to customer, partner, or vendor data. That’s why it’s so important to make sure you’re preventing threats by securing your perimeter. But you also need the capabilities to detect potential threats and respond in real time if you suspect you’ve been breached. Unfortunately, a large number of businesses still aren’t adequately protected against today’s sophisticated threat landscape. If you don’t have the internal cybersecurity staff or expertise to maintain 24/7/365 coverage, you might want to seek out a managed security services provider to supplement your own team’s efforts.” 

Brandon Logsdon, President and GM, Marketing Cloud Solutions at PDI Software:
“In 2022, we’re going to see growing consumer demand for personalized experiences across the convenience retail sector. Savvy consumers are increasingly aware of how valuable their data is—so when they share it with retailers, they expect good value in return. Those expectations include better rewards and loyalty programs with meaningful, personalized offers. Although personalization isn’t new, few companies are doing it really well. But with digital transformation, more retailers now have the tools to collect vast amounts of consumer data and turn it into actionable insights that translate directly to real-time offers and rewards. If you can deliver the right reward to the right person at the right time, you’ll be a step ahead of your competition. And if you can truly differentiate the consumer experience with relevant, personalized offers, you’ll have a much stronger foundation for building longer-lasting relationships with shoppers.”

It will be interesting to see how their predictions play out in 2022 as I know that many will be keeping track.

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LinkedIn Reveals Canada’s Energy Workers Leaving To New Industries And Predictions For 2022

Posted in Commentary with tags on December 16, 2021 by itnerd

In the last two years, an oversupplied global oil market and a demand shock from the COVID-19 pandemic hit an industry already in transition.

So, how have workers in the energy and mining industry responded? In the latest edition of LinkedIn’s Workforce Report for Canada, new data reveals where this workforce is finding new opportunities.

Here are the top five industries energy and mining workers have been moving to since 2019:

  1. Manufacturing
  2. Construction
  3. Software & IT Services
  4. Corporate Services
  5. Finance

These are just some of the many new workforce trends to emerge in Canada. 2021 is the year our relationship with work changed forever. LinkedIn data shows the future of work will continue to evolve across the globe next year.

As we look ahead into 2022, here are some trends LinkedIn expects to see:

  1. More people will change jobs and careers
  2. The new employee/employer contract will be shaped by employees
  3. The relationship between buyer and seller will change

The full workforce report findings can be found here. Full 2022 predictions are available here. 

Methodology

The hiring rate is the percentage of LinkedIn members who added a new employer to their profile in the same month the new job began, divided by the total number of LinkedIn members in Canada.

The share of job transitions to another industry is measured by comparing job transitions out of a member’s industry divided by all job transitions by members in the industry or country for a given month. Job transitions are calculated from updates to LinkedIn profiles in line with the LinkedIn Hiring Rate methodology.

Provincial figures reflect a smoothed 30-day moving average of LinkedIn’s daily hiring rate in each province, the data is not seasonally adjusted, and it is indexed to the 2019 (pre-pandemic) baseline.

The share of applications to jobs in a different industry is equal to the applications to job postings in an industry different than the one the member is currently working in divided by total applications. Only LinkedIn premium job postings are considered.

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How To Add Your COVID-19 Booster Dose Vaccination Record To Apple Wallet If You’re In Ontario

Posted in Commentary on December 15, 2021 by itnerd

Recently, I wrote about Ontario’s QR code system and how it worked. Along with a walkthrough of how users of iOS 15.1 or later could add their Ontario COVID-19 vaccination record QR code to Apple Wallet. Since I wrote that article Ontario has made QR codes mandatory starting on January 4th. On top of that, booster doses are being rolled out to more and more people. As a result you’ll need to ensure that your QR code on your person. Ideally on your phone. And you need to make sure that you get the record of your booster dose on your phone. The good news is this is easy to do after you get your booster dose:

NOTE: This requires iOS 15.1 or later on your iPhone.

You can get your QR code from this website as long as you have your green health card handy to get your “enhanced vaccine certificate” in the form of a PDF which contains the QR code that you need. Also, I should mention that you should get an email that will have a time limited link that will allow you to do the same thing after you get your booster dose. Either way, from the portal, tap the PDF and a blue “Open in” link will appear. Click to open a menu that will allow you to email or download the PDF to your device. I stored the PDF in iCloud Drive so that I have it handy if I need to on all my Apple devices, as well as being backed up to the cloud. After that, here’s what you need to do:

  1. Open the Camera app from the Home Screen, Control Center, or Lock Screen on your iPhone.
  2. Select the rear-facing camera.
  3. Hold your device so that the QR code appears in the viewfinder in the Camera app. Your device recognizes the QR code and shows a Health app notification.
  4. Tap the Health app notification.
  5. For verifiable vaccination records, tap Add to Wallet & Health to add the record to the Health app and Wallet app.
  6. Tap Done.

At this point, you will have two cards in your wallet. One that shows two doses and one with three doses. I deleted the one with two doses by doing the following:

  1. Pick the pass that you want to delete. Which would be the one with two doses.
  2. Click on the three dots with a circle around them on the top right corner of the screen. It looks like this:

It should then take you to a screen which will have the words “Remove Pass” a third of the way down the screen. Click on that.

I am mentioning this because I have a feeling that the Government Of Ontario is going to redefine what “fully vaccinated” means. Currently it’s two doses. But I think at some point it will go up to three. Which means that it is in your interest to make sure that you have the right version of the QR code on your iPhone or Apple Watch.

I would be interested in hearing your experience in downloading your QR code and using it. Was it easy to download? Did you have any issue using it at a venue? Leave a comment and share your experience.

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Telstra Continues Significant Expansion of Its Network Infrastructure in the United States

Posted in Commentary with tags on December 15, 2021 by itnerd

Telstra is expanding its network infrastructure in the United States by nearly tripling its footprint at a primary data center in Ashburn, Virginia. The upgrade continues the global telecommunications and technology company’s ongoing efforts to support customers across the U.S. by making network investments and adding new points-of-presence (PoP).

The Ashburn expansion also adds extra layers of network resiliency to ensure Telstra customers experience stable connectivity in the event of natural disasters or network intrusions.

Telstra operates out of the Ashburn (DC21) facility, which is managed by its long-time partner, Equinix. The facility is focused on providing low-latency connectivity to and from Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. When completed in early 2022, Ashburn will be Telstra’s third core node on the U.S. East Coast.

The Ashburn region is home to a diverse range of online commerce and cloud-focused companies, making it a perfect fit for Telstra’s established and developing technologies supported from the growing facility including SD-WAN, Ethernet Private Line (EPL), Global IP and IPVPN network options.

The Ashburn upgrade also supports Telstra’s global growth strategy. Telstra plans to add more than 70 Tbps of capacity across its international network by June 2022 to support customers’ growth plans. This investment, part of Telstra’s ongoing network expansion, will increase key routes between North America, Europe and Asia, with more than half of the new capacity within the Asia-Pacific region where demand from U.S. and Canadian businesses continues to be strong.

The Ashburn node will be fully interconnected with Telstra’s existing POPs in New York, New Jersey and California with easy access to cable systems on both coasts. The new installation also expands Telstra’s relationship with Equinix. The two companies recently collaborated on enhancements to the Telstra Octagon capital markets network solution, and the DC21 site is fully integrated via cross-connection with the other sites on the Equinix Ashburn complex.

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Aeroplan & Uber Canada Unveil Expanded Partnership

Posted in Commentary with tags on December 15, 2021 by itnerd

Aeroplan is pleased to announce an expanded loyalty partnership with Uber Canada, giving Aeroplan members in Canada the opportunity to earn points on Uber Eats and Uber Rides purchases when they link their accounts.

Starting today, Aeroplan members based in Canada will be able to earn the following when linking their Aeroplan and Uber accounts:

  • 1 Aeroplan point per $1 spent on eligible Uber Eats orders over $25 in Canada;
  • 1 Aeroplan point per $1 spent on Uber Airport Rides (all ride types including Uber X) and Premium Rides (including, UberXL, Uber Comfort, Uber Black, Uber Select etc.) in Canada and the U.S.;
  • 2 Aeroplan points per $1 spent on Uber Premium Airport Rides in Canada and the U.S.;
  • Plus, every time Aeroplan members take 10 Uber rides in Canada or the U.S., they’ll receive a $20 CAD Air Canada flight credit.

This partnership is an extension to September’s announcement, where Aeroplan Credit Cardholders received a free Uber Pass membership, unlocking unlimited $0 Delivery Fees on eligible food and grocery orders, ride discounts and additional perks with a free Uber Pass membership.

Additional Partnership Benefits:

  • New Uber Eats users get an extra 1,000 Aeroplan bonus points for their first order;
  • New Uber riders will get an extra 1,000 Aeroplan bonus points for their first ride;
  • All Aeroplan members can redeem their points for Uber gift cards and a 3-month Uber Pass membership at the Aeroplan eStore. Linked members can redeem for both at a discounted number of points;
  • Aeroplan credit cardholders get a free Uber Pass membership for 3, 6 or 12 months.

How to link your Aeroplan and Uber accounts:

  1. Open the Uber or Uber Eats app and tap the menu on the top left corner;
  2. Tap ‘Settings,’ and scroll down to tap ‘Aeroplan’ under the Rewards section, then tap ‘Link Account’ and then log into your Aeroplan account;
  3. Once accounts are linked, you will start earning points on qualifying Uber Eats orders and qualifying rides.

How to activate your free Uber Pass membership:

  1. Open the Uber or Uber Eats app and tap the menu on the top left corner;
  2. Add your eligible Aeroplan credit card to your Uber account;
  3. Activate your free Uber Pass membership and use your Aeroplan credit card when paying for qualifying purchases (the same one used to activate your free membership). 

For more information on the partnership, please visit: www.aircanada.com/uber.

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The NSO Group May Be In Very Deep Trouble

Posted in Commentary with tags on December 15, 2021 by itnerd

It seems that lawsuits from Apple and sanctions from the US Government may be having an effect on everybody’s most hated purveyor of spyware, The NSO Group. Bloomberg reports that the company is now running out of cash and looking for options:

NSO Group Ltd., the scandal-plagued spyware company that’s in danger of defaulting on its debts, is exploring options that include shutting its controversial Pegasus unit and selling the entire company, according to people familiar with the matter.

Talks have been held with several investment funds about moves that include a refinancing or outright sale, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the discussions are private.

The report claims that Pegasus would be repurposed, from hacking smartphones to protecting them:

The prospective new owners include two American funds that have discussed taking control and closing Pegasus, one of the people said. Under that scenario, the funds would then inject about $200 million in fresh capital to turn the know-how behind Pegasus into strictly defensive cyber security services.

While

While I am happy that The NSO Group is in deep trouble and is on the brink of extinction, a couple of random thoughts come to mind:

  1. Who would trust these people to secure anything after spending years trying to hack iPhones? The answer is nobody.
  2. How do we know that the spyware tech that this company created won’t end up in the wild if this company fails? Which means that everyone would be in deep trouble if that ended up to be true.

The best outcome in my mind would be to have someone buy the company, lock up every employee with a strict NDA, and bury the spyware tech. Then prove to governments worldwide that this has happened. That way we are all safe. But I fully expect some other outcome that puts us all at risk. Bu I am free to surprised.

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Google Canada Commits $600,000 To Reskill Indigenous Job Seekers 

Posted in Commentary with tags on December 15, 2021 by itnerd

Google Canada is announcing a $600,000 commitment to support Indigenous job seekers across Canada by providing them with free digital skills training.

As part of the commitment, Google Canada is providing a $500,000 Google.org grant towards ComIT’s Recoding Futures IT training program, an additional $100,000 in funding to support Indspire with their education and job training programs and an allocation of Google Career Certificate scholarships, delivered by NPower, for Indigenous job seekers – giving Indigenous communities the necessary skills to find jobs in Canada’s tech sector.

This announcement builds on research that shows a significant skills and education gap amongst Indigenous populations in Canada that’s driving economic divides and impacting employment opportunities for these communities. The dedicated indigenous support adds to Google Canada’s $2 million commitment to reskill job seekers for new careers in technology in under six months, announced earlier this year.

Google has a blog post which is way more information on this.

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A Follow Up To My Install Of macOS Monterey 12.1

Posted in Commentary with tags on December 15, 2021 by itnerd

Yesterday, I detailed the challenges that I had installing macOS Monterey 12.1. At that time I promised a follow up. Specifically, about the memory leak issue that many Monterey users have been experiencing.

Now I’ve only been running this version of macOS for 24 hours so it’s still early days. But I am noticing that memory management is better on this version of MacOS. I am currently not seeing memory usage climb the way it was in version 12.0.1. And it seems to have much better memory management. Or put another way, memory that was in use by an application or a process is collected and returned to a state where it is available to be used by any application that needs it.

I’ll have to keep running my MacBook Pro over the next few days, but things looks promising so far.

I’ve also noticed the following:

  • I had a weird issue with USB hubs that would not work in 12.0.1. This now appears to be fixed in 12.1.
  • Because I run iStat Menus, I was able to notice immediately that CPU usage was down by 1-2% and temperatures were down by 1 – 2 degrees. In other words, the system appears to be working more efficiently.

I will continue to monitor this and let you know what my results are. If you have any feedback of your own, please leave a comment and share your observations with us.

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