Canada’s government announces where almost $1 billion in innovation funding will be invested. A new car from Volkswagen impresses at the Canadian International Auto Show. And Facebook’s VPN might be more than meets the eye.
Trending on Twitter, the federal government announces who will receive almost $1 billion in innovation funding. After a nine-month competition that saw companies, non-profits, and universities from across the country pull together and pitch their best vision for innovation, we have five winners. Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains announced the following superclusters will be funded: digital technology in B.C., advanced manufacturing in Ontario, protein industries in the Prairies, AI-powered supply chains in Quebec, and oceans technology in the Atlantic. The government says these superclusters will boost GDP by more than $53 billion over the next 10 years, and create more than 50,000 new jobs.
On Google Trends, the Volkswagen Arteon is coming to Canada. The new VW model has been turning heads for its unique look and technology package at U.S. autoshows. Yesterday, it did the same in Toronto at the Canadian International Auto Show. A cross between a sedan and a hatchback, the Arteon is notable for all the technology features that come standard. That includes assistive driving features like forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, and blind spot monitor with rear traffic alert. Plus your smartphone will work with the in-car display.
From Reddit, a warning to avoid Facebook’s new VPN app Onava. A new menu item labelled “Protect” appeared in the Facebook iPhone app this week. It prompts users to download a virtual private network app called Onavo. Now most VPNs help protect a user’s connection by encrypting it and funneling it through a third-party. But Facebook is also using this data to track what its users are doing on their smartphones outside of Facebook. This gives them a market research advantage, and insight into how people might be using competitor websites. There are many VPN alternatives that don’t tap your data for a competitive advantage.
That’s what’s trending today. Hashtag Trending is produced by IT World Canada. Today’s episode is brought to you by SAS, the world leader in advanced analytics and Official Analytics Partner of the Canadian Olympic Team.
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