Digital : In The News

U of T's Citizen Lab is in the news once again.

Based out of the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs, the pioneering institute that studies digital infrastructure and surveillance was featured on NPR's Morning Edition this week to address Hacking Team, an Italian-based tech firm that helped authoritarian governments break into the computers of activists, journalists, and ordinary citizens – basically, anyone who could be construed as a political threat. 

Citizen Lab's Bill Marczak explained that Hacking Team worked by infecting computers with spyware which would make those computers' data susceptible to leaks. Ethiopia, Morocco, UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia were all the company's clients. Though the company was recently hacked, it's continuing to meet global demand for the information it sells. 


"Further sales are being negotiated," said Marczak. 


Read the rest here.
Source: NPR

BlackBerry Ltd announced this week that it will be launching a new certificate service to bring its smartphone security calibre to a whole slew of devices.

Reuters reports that the company has already won a contract in Britain to issue certificates for a smart meter initiative that boasts more than 104 smart metres and home energy devices. Reuters continues: "The service will make it much easier for companies rolling out such devices to authenticate and secure them, the company said." 

Read the full story here. 
Source: The New York Times. 

Last month, a website called Github that programmers around the world rely on to store their source code - the raw ingredient of all software - came under attack from an unknown assailant. For developers who make programs and website that people use every day, the effect was crippling: Without source code, nothing could be done. Now, a University of Toronto-led team finally put a name - and a moniker - to the assailants: Researchers from the Citizen Lab pointed towards a Chinese tool called the “Great Cannon.” 

“The position of the Chinese government is that efforts to serve what it views as hostile content inside China’s borders is a hostile and provocative act that is a threat to its regime stability and ultimately its national security,” Sarah McKune, a senior legal advisor at the Lab, and one of the report’s co-authors, told the New York Times. This is hardly the first time the Citizen Lab has made international news: The lab is already world-famous for tracking down other acts of cyber-espionage, including an attempt to infiltrate government computers belonging to the Dalai Lama.

Read the full story here. 
Source: New York Times

We've been going on and on about how Toronto's great for startups, but don't take our word for it. According to Forbes, Toronto is a great destination for startup investors and developers.

The site reports:
Because of this, the high volume of startups makes the city of particular interest to investors.

Forbes adds: “Not everyone has to move to the Bay Area to be a successful tech startup entrepreneur, investor or worker.”


Read the full article here. 
Source: Forbes

As the 20^th anniversary approaches for the publication of The Digital Economy, Toronto-based information and business theorist Don Tapscott's groundbreaking 1995 book about, as the Irish Times describes it, the “mass disruption by digital technologies of business, media, society, the working world, entertainment, government, privacy, [and] education,” the author-speaker-thinker spoke with the paper from his Toronto office about the genesis of the book and what's changed since.

One key nugget: “I think the digital economy for me was separate from the real economy 20 years ago but now the economy IS a digital economy. So this is changing every aspect of how we orchestrate capability, to innovate, to create good services, to manage, for companies to engage with their customers or the rest of the world.”

And, on looking forward: “We’re on a trajectory here towards massive social dislocation, unrest or worse. It is time now for thoughtful people to sit up and realise this digital economy thing is really happening. It’s not going to go away and it’s penetrating ever more into every aspect of our society and our lives. We need to start to think about what needs to be done.”

Read the full article here.
Source: Irish Times

 

Advertising automation giant Rubicon has picked up the Toronto start-up, Shiny Ads, along with San Francisco-based iSocket, for the combined tune of just under $30 Million USD. 

The Wall Street Journal reports:
 
Shiny Ads' website describes the company a provider of "end-to-end programmatic direct advertising platform for digital publishers to sell more premium inventory for increased revenues and profits. By automating the process for advertisers of all sizes, Shiny Ads allows the direct sales team to focus on more complex ad buys and close more deals."


Read the full story here. 
Source: The Wall Street Journal




 

Toronto Pearson International Airport and Google Maps have collaborated to give passengers detailed indoor maps of the terminal. 

Both Google Maps and Google Maps mobile will help passengers find amenities, pre- and post security points, and other points of interest. The map allows passengers to view the floor plan, while also providing zooming capabilities. 

"It's important that we connect with passengers using the technology and platforms that meet their needs and exceed their expectations," Scott Collier, Vice President of Customer and Terminal Services, Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), said in an article that appeared on Future Travel Experience, noting that the implementation of the indoor maps "directly supports our strategic goals of improving our ability to connect with our passengers."

"For thousands of people every day, Pearson is Toronto's gateway," said Aaron Brindle, spokesperson for Google Canada, in a press release. "We are thrilled that Canadians and travellers from around the world can now navigate Toronto Pearson Airport with Google Maps."

Read the full story here. 
Original source: Future Travel Experience 

A new partnership between Calgary-based startup CAVIRTEX, Ottawa's BitAccess, and Gateway Newstands brings six new Bitcoin Teller Machines (BTMs) to Toronto and the GTA, making the city the "global leader in BTM accessibility."

Developed by BitAccess, the machines work by connecting with CAVIRTEX's online trading exchange to help "ensure users are getting the best price available," a release stated. Customers can purchase Bitcoins directly from the machine using any mobile phone that accepts text messages either by scanning a QR Code or by getting a paper printed wallet from the machine itself. The machines are capable of buying and selling up to $3,000 worth of Bitcoin.

There are more than 500 Gateway Newstand locations. So far, locations with Bitcoin machines have seen an increase in customer traffic. 

BitAccess has installed BTMs in most major Canadian cities, but Toronto takes the cake with 30 machines. 

Read the full story here. 
Original Source: Venture Beat

On Monday, Toronto's MakeWorks announced a partnership with Indiegogo Canada that will help the co-working maker studio expand their programming and potentially finance a second location.

MakeWorks is the first coworking space of its kind in Toronto, providing support to both digital and physical-focused startups. The 10,000 square-foot space houses some 30 different startups, prototyping tools and maker tools such as 3D printers, and acts as a large event space for community and hackathon events alike. 

"Toronto needed a new kind of shared workspace catered to the next generation of startups, products, and services. We built MakeWorks to serve a more diverse group of startups, and the feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive,” MakeWorks founder Mike Stern said in an article that appeared in Tech Cocktail. 

The partnership with Indiegogo Canada will allow the studio to enhance their community workshop programming and expand their in house equipment offerings. MakeWorks has been working to increase the number of startups involved in the space. As such, Indiegogo will move its Canadian headquarters into the space as part of the deal. 

Read the original story here. 
Original Source: Tech Cocktail

A group of significant Toronto startups including Wattpad, Shopify, InteraXon, Bionym, and Freshbooks have teamed up with Toronto Homecoming to launch an event designed to attract Canadians living abroad back to Toronto's "thriving technology startup ecosystem," a release stated. 

"Returning to Toronto was the best career move I've made, giving me the opportunity to join Bionym at such an exciting time," said Andrew D'Souza, President of Bionym, in the release. "The current wave of startup technology companies emerging from this ecosystem have enormous potential and represent trajectory-shifting career opportunities for those looking to take the next step as technology leaders. All of these companies have attracted capital, customers and partners from around the globe -- now they're looking to add world-class talent to build their businesses."

Toronto Homecoming's startup event will feature 10 to 15 startups looking to expand their employee base and entice homegrown talent back to the city. It is estimated some 300,000 Canadians live and work in the Bay Area alone. 

"Toronto Homecoming is excited to partner with startups that have significant momentum, funding and great leadership teams. We believe this new startup stream will attract more talent to Toronto, and Canada," said Andrew Graham, Toronto Homecoming's Co-Chair, in the release. "Toronto Homecoming shows Canada's next generation of world-class companies."

The event takes place October 9-11. Applications are open until August 1. 

Participating startups include:

•    Bionym
•    Shopify
•    WattPad
•    500px
•    Wave
•    Freshbooks
•    Achievers
•    Ecobee
•    WealthSimple
•    FinMaven
•    Soapbox
•    Shoebox
•    Interaxon
•    Tab Payments

For more information and registration click here. 
Original Source: Market Wired 

Joanna Griffiths, the Toronto-based entrepreneur and founder of innovative underwear company Knix Wear, sat down with Entrepreneur magazine recently to discuss something she knows quite well—building a successful crowdfunding campaign. 

Griffiths turned to crowdfunding in 2013 with the launch of an Indiegogo campaign to test the market for her moisture-wicking, odour-absorbent underwear. 

"It was the last test in a series of tests I conducted before launching the business," she told the magazine. 

It worked. She surpassed her goal and raised more than $50,000 from some 518 backers. But it didn't come without its challenges. Still, Griffiths persevered and learned a few lessons along the way.

For starters, she says, you need to have a plan. "You can't launch a campaign, go on autopilot and expect money to come rolling in," she says in the article. She studied successful campaigns before launching one of her own, determined to mimic their results by following their approaches. 

She makes eight recommendations from making your campaign personal ("People fund people, not just ideas") to taking things offline ("You want to build excitement, get people excited about backing the project…Don't ignore offline opportunities to build engagement.")

A worthwhile read for anyone considering launching a crowdfunding campaign of their own—or for those looking to pick up a few smart business practice tips. 

Read the full story here. 
Original Source: Entrepreneur.com