Friday February 25, 2011

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Ted Talks

Danny Hillis: Understanding cancer through proteomics

Danny Hills makes a case for the next frontier of cancer research: proteomics. Genomics shows us a list of the ingredients of the body -- while proteomics shows us what those ingredients produce. Understanding what's going on in your body at the protein level may lead to a new understanding of how cancer happens.

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Leadership Conference

Communitech Tech Leadership Conference March 2 Showcases Up-and-Coming Tech Companies in RIM-sponsored Tech Expo

Waterloo – Twelve tech companies on the brink of breakthroughs will be showcased in the Tech Expo at Communitech’s annual Tech Leadership Conference at Bingeman’s Conference Centre Wednesday, March 2nd. The Tech Expo is a major draw for the anticipated 500 attendees at the one-day event, along with the cache of speakers including author Geoffrey Moore, futurist Watts Wacker, and journalist-author Scott Berkun.

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Web

New Arts and Cultural Web Portal Launched in Waterloo Region

Waterloo - “Waterloo Region is known for best practices on collaboration in the tech sector and for innovation in academics and governance. It is now also gaining attention for the creative partnerships with tourism, technology and economic development.”, quotes Tracey Desjardins, new General Manager for the Waterloo Regional Tourism Marketing Corporation.

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Tourism

Supporting Waterloo Region’s Unique Local Heritage

Canada's Government Continues To Invest In Local Cultural History

Kitchener - Ontario is helping to protect and promote Waterloo Region’s unique heritage, and boost tourism and economic development in the region.

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Contest

uWaterloo hosts neuroscience contest for high school students

WATERLOO - The University of Waterloo’s kinesiology department will host the third annual brain bee for high school students in Waterloo Region and surrounding areas on Saturday.

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Arts and Culture

Opera producer Michael Cavanagh to direct Laurier production of The Magic Flute

WATERLOO – Wilfrid Laurier University’s Faculty of Music presents a wintery, Inuit-themed rendition of Mozart’s The Magic Flute as its annual opera, with opera producer Michael Cavanagh directing. Laurier is staging four performances of the popular opera: March 4, 5 and 6 in Waterloo and March 11 in Brantford.

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Citizenship

International Week at Laurier focuses on global citizenship

WATERLOO – Internationally renowned speakers, photo exhibits, films, workshops and conferences are among the many events taking place during Laurier’s International Week Feb. 28 to March 5. The theme of this year’s International Week is “Global Citizenship @ Laurier: Voices of Inclusion and Engagement.”

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Drug Testing

Laurier football players test clean, CCES confirms

WATERLOO – All 67 Wilfrid Laurier University football players involved in an unannounced drug test in January have tested clean, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport confirmed.

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Science and Technology

Economic Action Plan Supports Innovative Research and Development in Cambridge

Rutherford Controls International Corporation is upgrading electromagnetic lock products to 'green' building standards

CAMBRIDGE - Technological advances in electromagnetism will make commercial door locking products more economical and environmentally efficient, thanks to a Government of Canada investment announced by the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for Science and Technology.

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Solar Energy

SkyPower Awarded 13 Utility-Scale Solar Contracts Representing 148.3 MW of Solar Projects In Ontario, Canada

TORONTO - SkyPower Limited, Canada's leading solar energy company and its wholly owned subsidiaries, are pleased to announce its award of 13 new power purchase contracts under Ontario's Feed-in-Tariff Program, totalling 148.3 MW of energy capacity.

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Research

Government of Canada Supports Scientific Research at University of Toronto Mississauga

MISSISSAUGA - A new academic centre will allow the University of Toronto Mississauga to keep up with the booming enrolment for its science research programs. The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology, Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario), and Bob Dechert, Member of Parliament for Mississauga-Erindale, toured the university's new Instructional Centre and refurbished science research laboratories, which are nearing completion.

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Horticulture

Game Changing Technologies for Fruit, Vegetable, Greenhouse Growers

Vineland scouts the world for leading horticulture technologies and innovations for Canadian farmers

VINELAND - Leading edge mechanical platforms and robotic technology will finally give Canadian horticulture farmers the advantage they need to compete successfully against other highly productive growing and processing regions around the world.

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Survey

KEEPING TABS ON TABLET COMPUTERS

Four in 10 Companies Surveyed by Robert Half Technology Plan to Increase Use of These Devices in Future

TORONTO - With the business world being reshaped by mobile technologies, companies are moving to embrace the highly portable, Internet-linked tablet computer. Four in 10 (40 per cent) of CIOs in a recent survey said their companies will increase the use of tablets in the next two years.

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Green Chemistry

GreenCentre Canada launches interactive website and Twitter account

Kingston - Green chemistry comes to life on GreenCentre Canada's new interactive website. Visitors to greencentrecanada.com can now see profiles of some of the green chemistry innovations being commercialized by GreenCentre in partnership with universities across Canada.

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Safety

Preventing Falls on Stairs

Reduce your risk of injuries at home

Toronto - When seniors fall, the consequences for their health can be both severe and long-lasting. However, many of these falls can be prevented with a little careful planning and a few simple strategies. To help you protect your health, mobility and independence, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has a number of tips on how seniors can help reduce the risk of falls on stairs at home.

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Survey

Delvinia Releases Dig Report on the Future of Retail

New Study Points to the Growing Influence of Digitally-Savvy Consumers

TORONTO - Understanding how consumers incorporate digital technology into the retail experience is the focus of the latest Delvinia Dig report, just released.

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Travel

International travel account

Statscan - Canada's international travel deficit grew by $157 million from the third quarter to $3.8 billion in the fourth quarter. A rise in spending by Canadians abroad largely contributed to the increase in the deficit.

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Investment

Private and public investment

Statscan - Investment in capital construction and machinery and equipment is expected to rise 3.3% in 2011 to $349.1 billion. Much of the recovery from the 2009 economic downturn occurred in 2010 due to strong growth on the part of both public (+17.5%) and private (+8.0%) investment. If intentions are realized, increases in 2011 will be led by private investment, which is expected to grow 3.8% to $261.3 billion.

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Guest Column

Winners and Losers in the "New Normal" Economy - The Top 10 Differences

By Stuart Morley

How is it that companies that have been around for more than 100 years failed in this economic downturn while other younger companies like Apple, Facebook, WalMart and The Huffington Post continued to grow? It is a similar picture for many lesser-known, mid-sized companies: some have failed and others have thrived, irrespective of their industry, size or location.