Technology – PCIS Ltd.

It’s hard for enterprises to adopt emerging tech. Here’s a way to do it

June 23, 2019

There are some truly amazing emerging technologies out there. AI and chatbots. Blockchain. Cryptocurrencies. Augmented reality, virtual reality… we’re all in a new kind of reality. Enterprise companies don’t want to leave these technologies in the hands of the startups that will disrupt them. But is is a huge challenge even for experienced CIOs to get a handle on how to bring these technologies in-house, integrate them with legacy systems and beat the competition. Why startups have the edge with…

We want to build our economy around innovation? Then we have to do something about China

June 4, 2019

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With all the controversy of the Green New Deal in the USA, I feel like Canadians (and especially the David Suzuki Foundation) are owed an apology. That, or at least an acknowledgement: Democrats in the US pretty much stole our big idea for the future of our country! What was that idea — or should I say, belief? Very simple: give up our sinful pasts as producers of dirty energy and minerals and find redemption at last through the holy spirit of technological innovation.…

The Pros and Cons of BYOD Program in Schools

August 11, 2015

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According to the National Consumers League, on average, children are 12 when they receive their first mobile device. With this early introduction into the daily routine, it’s no wonder they grow addicted to it and become dependent on their device. Not all parents are on the same page but with 56% of children in the US owning a cellphone, it’s inevitable that these devices make their way into schools. Whereas a few years ago, schools had strict policies against kids…

The distance between your wrist and pocket is exactly $300

March 13, 2015

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What just happened? Did we suddenly move to a new universe where spending minimum $300 on a gimmicky technology gadget is normal? Actually that isn’t new at all – the gadgets seem to change with the season. It seems as though the latest “it” gadget with a $300 price tag can easily go to $15,000 for the fancy version – and this device likely won’t last for more than 3 years!! Even if it does, it will have become obsolete.…

Lenovo climbs mount stupid, plants a flag and takes a selfie.

February 27, 2015

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This is a lesson about greed, bad communications and stupidity. Somewhere deep inside the executive offices of computer giant Lenovo, somebody had an ingenious plan: Let’s extract more money from our customers. To refresh your memory, Lenovo has long been a manufacturer of desktop computers, laptops and other electronics. The company first came to the spotlight when it purchased the laptop (remember ThinkPads? Yes they are still around) division from IBM, phones from Motorola/Google and the latest, the Intel-based server…

Forget the measles. There’s no vaccination for this problem.

February 18, 2015

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Back from an evening out you open your front door to discover that your house has been broken into, many valuables are stolen. You take out your phone and dial the police. To prevent this startling scenario, most people protect their homes with deadbolt locks, alarms, angry German Shepherds, and perhaps cameras. What most people don’t understand is that all of those things do precious little to secure their computers and their information on the Internet. Most people have likely…

50 Shades of Samsung – Privacy, Security or Convenience?

February 12, 2015

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Samsung has been very naughty. And not the 50 shades of Grey kind. Over the last weekend we discovered that Samsung has been playing “peeping Tom” in our homes. Through privacy disclosure, Samsung revealed that its TV sets might listen to our conversations and even share them with third parties (http://g3t.ca/Fii9y2). All the pundits and defenders of privacy are now racing to find the right adjectives to properly scold Samsung and demand higher levels transparency from the company. The Samsung…

IBM is betting big on Watson

November 12, 2014

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There were two news stories from IBM in regards to Watson last week. The first one was about a partnership between IBM and Twitter. The news release is full of great promises – Analytics Services on Cloud, which should deliver cognitive services in the palm of your hand; predictive analytics; visualization. Between Twitter and Watson, you’ll be able to keep the pulse on the planet. Unleashing Watson’s mind on the endless stream of Tweets, reminds me of a quote from…

Big Data or Hype?

October 20, 2014

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Welcome to this week’s Technology Updates, a vibrant mix of hot topics and future trends. The future is here…. Big Data or Hype? The Globe and Mail reported that the Maple Leafs are betting big on Big Data. It is surprising that it has taken them this long. Other sport organizations, notably the MLB with its sabermetrics (http://g3t.ca/q1hK49), have been doing it for quite some time. The Maple Leafs started pouring resources into gathering data, analysis, visualization and predictive analytics.…

Things to consider before saving nude pictures to the cloud.

September 8, 2014

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Welcome to this week’s Technology Updates, a vibrant mix of hot topics and future trends. The future is here. What sparks your interest more? The theft of 1.2 billion user names and passwords, or a few nude pictures of celebrities? Perhaps the nude pictures received more attention, but you should be concerned about both. This time the target was iCloud. The cloud storage built by Apple, available on Apple’s all the devices and computers. Highly convenient for content synchronization, application…