Technology

Voxel Bridge art

Technology as art

The dazzling Voxel Bridge installation

  • Nov 19, 2021

 

Drone technology is used at night in the battle against wildfires because the ground is cool, there is less manned air traffic and pilots are able to distinguish a hotspot from a rock.. Photo supplied.

Black Creek company uses drone technology to assist with B.C. wildfires

Drones used thermal imagery to find buried hot spots

 

The icons of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp can be seen on the screen of a smartphone in Kempten, Germany, Monday, Oct. 4, 2021. The six-hour outage of Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp on Monday was a headache for many casual users. But the outage was far more serious for many people worldwide who rely on the social media sites to communicate with relatives, friends and neighbors and run their businesses. It’s a stark reminder that many of the most popular ways to communicate are controlled by one company, Facebook. And any lengthy outage can have severe implications. (Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa via AP)

Outage highlights how vital Facebook has become worldwide

For small businesses, the outages meant hundreds or thousands of dollars in lost revenue

 

The five-week program pairs seniors with youth in the name of digital literacy. (WorkLink Employment Society)

Digital literacy program in Langford, Sooke pairs teens with 55+

WorkLink program’s first cohort boots up in October

The five-week program pairs seniors with youth in the name of digital literacy. (WorkLink Employment Society)
FILE - In this Friday, Sept. 17, 2021 file photo, The app Smart Voting is displayed on an iPhone screen in Moscow, Russia. Big Tech companies that operate around the globe have long promised both to obey local laws and to protect civil rights while doing business. But when Apple and Google capitulated to Russian demands and removed Smart Voting, a political-opposition app from their local app stores, it raised worries that two of the world’s most successful companies are more comfortable bowing to undemocratic edicts — and maintaining a steady flow of profits— than upholding their stated principles.(AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)

One plug to charge them all: EU demands universal charger for phones

EU wants to cut down on the 11,000 metric tons of electronic waste residents throw out every year

FILE - In this Friday, Sept. 17, 2021 file photo, The app Smart Voting is displayed on an iPhone screen in Moscow, Russia. Big Tech companies that operate around the globe have long promised both to obey local laws and to protect civil rights while doing business. But when Apple and Google capitulated to Russian demands and removed Smart Voting, a political-opposition app from their local app stores, it raised worries that two of the world’s most successful companies are more comfortable bowing to undemocratic edicts — and maintaining a steady flow of profits— than upholding their stated principles.(AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)
Dexter Macaisa, team lead for assembly process and development at Central Saanich’s Redlen Technologies, works on component of the company’s ground-breaking new CT technology. Canon recently paid $341 million to acquire the remaining 85 per cent of the company after having purchased 15 per cent earlier. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)

CEO believes Central Saanich’s Redlen can hit $1 billion in revenue after purchase by Canon

Glenn Bindley also predicts that company will boost region’s high-tech reputation

Dexter Macaisa, team lead for assembly process and development at Central Saanich’s Redlen Technologies, works on component of the company’s ground-breaking new CT technology. Canon recently paid $341 million to acquire the remaining 85 per cent of the company after having purchased 15 per cent earlier. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)
A woman looks at the Quebec government’s new vaccine passport called VaxiCode on a phone in Montreal, Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Canada and around the world. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Police complaints filed after politicians’ vaccine passport QR codes allegedly hacked

Codes contain name, date of birth and information about the vaccinations a person has received

A woman looks at the Quebec government’s new vaccine passport called VaxiCode on a phone in Montreal, Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Canada and around the world. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Less than 40 per cent of rural and remote communities in B.C. have access to high-speed internet. (File photo)

61,000 rural B.C. homes supplied with high-speed internet since 2019: project update

The project aims to provide high-speed internet coverage to rural and remote areas of the province

Less than 40 per cent of rural and remote communities in B.C. have access to high-speed internet. (File photo)
FILE - This Tuesday, July 28, 2020, file photo shows the icon for the Tinder dating app on a device in New York. The use of dating apps in the last 18 months of the pandemic has surged around the globe. Tinder reported 2020 as its busiest year. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File)

Dating changed during the pandemic, apps are following suit

New tools will allow users to get to know people better online

FILE - This Tuesday, July 28, 2020, file photo shows the icon for the Tinder dating app on a device in New York. The use of dating apps in the last 18 months of the pandemic has surged around the globe. Tinder reported 2020 as its busiest year. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File)
When the pandemic hit, keeping people at home, local Elders were first to go virtual at the Victoria Native Friendship Centre, thanks to programming already in place for nearly a year. (Courtesy VNFC)

Victoria Native Friendship Centre Elders first to go virtual during pandemic

Growing Zoom following started with 53 shouts of ‘bingo’ and lingering laughs

When the pandemic hit, keeping people at home, local Elders were first to go virtual at the Victoria Native Friendship Centre, thanks to programming already in place for nearly a year. (Courtesy VNFC)
Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, left, and EU’s Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni pose for photos as finance ministers from across the G7 nations meet at Lancaster House in London, Saturday, June 5, 2021 ahead of the G7 leaders’ summit. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, Pool)

G-7 nations sign key pact to make tech giants pay fair taxes

Nations have been grappling with how to deter companies from legally avoiding paying taxes through tax havens

Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, left, and EU’s Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni pose for photos as finance ministers from across the G7 nations meet at Lancaster House in London, Saturday, June 5, 2021 ahead of the G7 leaders’ summit. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, Pool)
Vancouver Island Connector and Tofino Bus is putting a 41-passenger electric bus through its paces in a three-month trial run between Nanaimo and Victoria. (Photo submitted)

Electric bus on trial run serving Victoria-to-Nanaimo route

Vancouver Island Connector and Tofino Bus trying out 41-seat electric coach for three months

Vancouver Island Connector and Tofino Bus is putting a 41-passenger electric bus through its paces in a three-month trial run between Nanaimo and Victoria. (Photo submitted)
Vancouver Island Regional Library is hosting a Scratch coding contest for young women to promote science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics education. The contest runs until March 31. (News Bulletin file)

VIRL organizes coding contest for girls and young women

Vancouver Island Regional Library hosting Scratch contest this month

Vancouver Island Regional Library is hosting a Scratch coding contest for young women to promote science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics education. The contest runs until March 31. (News Bulletin file)
Cody Hutchinson, a Grade 9 Student at Eagle River Secondary in Sicamous, organized a cellphone detox for his classmates, which ended on Thursday, Feb. 11. (Jim Elliot - Eagle Valley News)

A 2 week cellphone detox ‘enjoyable’ experience: Shuswap students

Organizer of Sicamous event suggests other schools give restricted phone use a try

Cody Hutchinson, a Grade 9 Student at Eagle River Secondary in Sicamous, organized a cellphone detox for his classmates, which ended on Thursday, Feb. 11. (Jim Elliot - Eagle Valley News)
Technology

Regional marketing initiative to help attract tech companies to Vancouver Island

Promoting Vancouver Island as an area for tech-related investment and remote and…

Technology
A low-speed autonomous shuttle rides past a taxi during a demonstration on roads around government buildings in Ottawa, Monday, Nov. 2, 2020. Statistics Canada says domestic firms that invested in robots over since the late 1990s have actually expanded their workforce, suggesting a less than “apocalyptic” result for workers overall. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Firms with more robots also have more workers overall, Statistics Canada study says

Firms that invested in robots were also likely to cut the number of managers

A low-speed autonomous shuttle rides past a taxi during a demonstration on roads around government buildings in Ottawa, Monday, Nov. 2, 2020. Statistics Canada says domestic firms that invested in robots over since the late 1990s have actually expanded their workforce, suggesting a less than “apocalyptic” result for workers overall. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia Michael McEvoy during a news conference in Vancouver, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Canada crawling toward AI regulatory regime, but experts say reform is urgent

Clearview AI said in July it will no longer provide facial recognition services in Canada

Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia Michael McEvoy during a news conference in Vancouver, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
This image provided by Apple shows a display of the new iPhones equipped with technology for use with faster new 5G wireless networks that Apple unveiled Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020. (Apple via AP)

Apple unveils new iPhones for faster 5G wireless networks

Apple will no longer include charging adapters with new phones

This image provided by Apple shows a display of the new iPhones equipped with technology for use with faster new 5G wireless networks that Apple unveiled Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020. (Apple via AP)
Quadra Island’s Wild Isle Ferments has been awarded $50,000 in the first annual NexStream Tech Challenge for winning the Wildcard category. Photo courtesy Wild Isle Ferments

Quadra Island fermenter wins $50K in NexStream Tech Challenge

Brandon Pirie with Wild Isle Ferments takes Wildcard category in first annual contest

Quadra Island’s Wild Isle Ferments has been awarded $50,000 in the first annual NexStream Tech Challenge for winning the Wildcard category. Photo courtesy Wild Isle Ferments
14-year-old Zorawar Singh shows off the thermographic camera he built, which can be used to test for the fever, a common COVID-19 symptom. (Aaron Guillen/News Staff)

Vancouver Island teen inspired by pandemic creates thermal camera from scratch

14-year-old plans to make 10 touchless hand sanitizers for schools

14-year-old Zorawar Singh shows off the thermographic camera he built, which can be used to test for the fever, a common COVID-19 symptom. (Aaron Guillen/News Staff)