Archive for January 16, 2023

Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing welcomes TELUS Health as exclusive provider for mental health services

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 16, 2023 by itnerd

The Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing (CCAW), a new not-for-profit organization launched on November 17, 2022, is on a mission to support farmers and their families with a research-to-action approach to mental health. With TELUS Health’s expertise and proven ability to deliver, the CCAW has welcomed them as the exclusive clinical and technology provider for Canadian farmers who are facing catastrophic events, as well as for farmers who don’t have access to provincial and federal programming.

From floods, to pandemics and supply chain disruptions, farmers face many uncontrollable and unforeseen events that can impact their mental health. These types of events often result in higher than average rates of stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues among farmers. According to the 2019 Report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, 45% of farmers reported high stress levels, and 45% indicated they would not reach out for help if they were in need, due to the stigma around mental health.

The Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing is a research-to-action organization supporting farm mental health across Canada. For more information visit www.ccaw.ca.

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Review: Ugreen Nexode 100W USB C Wall Charger 

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 16, 2023 by itnerd

I am currently in the midst of setting up a sling bag with a bunch of tech related items in it that I can grab at a moment’s notice and head out the door should I need to see a client. I’ll be detailing the items and the logic behind what’s in the bag in a coming post, but for now, I want to focus on one item that will be in that bag. Which is the Ugreen Nexode 100W USB C Wall Charger:

So what we have here is a USB-C charger that puts out 100W of power. That’s enough to charge a 2021 16″ MacBook Pro. And clearly anything else from phones to tablets.

There’s two USB-C ports and the charger will decide how to split the power between both ports. That way you can charge an iPhone and a MacBook Pro at the same time for example.

You get foldable prongs to keep things compact. If I could make a suggestion, the next version of this needs to be able to be used internationally as this would be a great travel item if you go overseas. Here’s why:

On the left is the adapter that came with my MacBook Pro which is a 140W adapter. On the right is the Ugreen adapter. Both use GaN technology to deliver power more efficiently, while generating less waste of energy and heat. But clearly Ugreen tried a lot harder to shrink the size of the adapter. Though I will admit that they both weigh about the same.

I tested this by running down my MacBook Pro to almost empty and then charging it up. I was able to get to just under 50% in 30 minutes which more or less matches the power adapter that came with the MacBook Pro. So in short, I have the ability to keep my MacBook charged using a power adapter that takes up less real estate. Plus it will charge anything else that I need to charge. This is a total win and it has earned a place in the sling bag that I am building.

I got my Ugreen Nexode 100W USB C Wall Charger on Amazon for $79 CAD minus $10 CAD off as there was a coupon that was on the product listing. Given Apple’s 140W charger is $120 CAD, and is physically bigger, the Ugreen charger is the clear choice for people on the go who need to ensure that their gear is fully charged at all times.

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A Ontario COVID-19 Benefits Email #Scam Is Making The Rounds

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 16, 2023 by itnerd

Residents of Ontario seem now to be the target of a COVID-19 email scam that is targeting your personal information.

Here’s the email that you get:

Well, it does look convincing. Other than the rather poor grammar that is. The links “About”, “News”, and “Terms of use” actually go to an Ontario Government website. You’ll also note that it says at the bottom “© King’s Printer for Ontario, 2012–23” which given that this is an email, makes no sense. Though I will note that the King’s Printer for Ontario does exist. Now besides the grammar, the email address is a big tip off that this email is fake:

That should be enough to have you run in the other direction. But because I want to show you how these scams work so that you can better spot them, I went down the rabbit hole and clicked “Apply Now” which by the way, you should never ever do.

Looking at the address bar, the website is “Ontario-ca.com” which is not an Ontario Government website address. The real Ontario Government address is “Ontario.ca”. But the scammer is hoping that it’s close enough that you will fall for it. What follows is a form that has you fill in your name, address, and date of birth. Which is all the information that the scammer will need to steal your identity. I put in some bogus information and got this back:

It’s a success for the scammer as they are likely off to steal your identity.

It’s a very simple scam that given how close this website looks to the real Ontario Government website, I can see people falling for it. But I am hoping that by getting this out there, you won’t be a victim.

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