We’re back! Listen now.

This episode of Canadian Tech Podcast features an interview with Billal Qureshi, the Head of Mobile + Apps at Google Canada. We had a great conversation about how the pandemic has affected Canadian businesses, what tools small businesses can use to get in touch with customers and increase business, and what small business owners should keep an eye out for next. Billal’s answer on that last one surprised me, it might surprise you too.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:13:47 — 84.4MB)

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Sponsored by Olio Digital Labs and Codeship

Thanks to Techdoz.ca for the loan of the Snowball Blue Mic

Hosts & Guests

• Stuart Clark
• Derek Silva

Announcement – We’re taking a hiatus! See you in… 6 months? 2020? 2025? Never? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Quick Hits

• Google combines Android Pay and Google Wallet under a single banner, Google Pay
  • https://mobilesyrup.com/2018/01/08/google-android-pay-google-wallet-single-brand-google-pay/
• Future Samsung smartphones will have working FM chips in Canada
  • https://mobilesyrup.com/2018/01/10/samsung-fm-chips/
• Manitoba to receive $83.9 million in high-speed internet funding
  • https://mobilesyrup.com/2018/01/09/manitoba-receive-83-9-million-high-speed-internet-funding/
• TD Bank Acquires AI Startup Layer 6
  • https://techvibes.com/2018/01/09/td-bank-acquires-ai-startup-layer-6
• Public advocacy group calls for CRTC inquiry into Canadian digital service providers
  • https://mobilesyrup.com/2018/01/08/public-advocacy-group-calls-crtc-inquiry-canadian-digital-service-providers/
  • http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/rogers-employees-pressure-to-sell-1.4481128
• Razer’s Project Linda imagines a laptop dock for the Razer Phone
  • https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/1/9/16866206/razer-project-linda-phone-laptop-dock-touchpad-prototype-android-concept-ces-2018
• Toronto’s Goal to Become the Smartest City in North America
  • https://techvibes.com/2018/01/10/torontos-goal-to-become-the-smartest-city-in-north-america
• Bitcoin Mining Looking at Canada Given China’s Digital Currency Stance
  • https://discover.coinsquare.io/digital-currency/bitcoin-minining-canada/

Topics

• Meltdown and Spectre: ‘worst ever’ CPU bugs affect virtually all computers
  • https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jan/04/meltdown-spectre-worst-cpu-bugs-ever-found-affect-computers-intel-processors-security-flaw
  • https://spectreattack.com/
• What Facebook’s news feed change could mean to users, businesses
  • http://www.lfpress.com/2018/01/12/what-facebooks-news-feed-change-could-mean-to-users-businesses
  • https://mobilesyrup.com/2018/01/12/facebook-friends-publishers-change-news-feed/
• macOS High Sierra bug gives access to App Store preferences without a password
  • https://mobilesyrup.com/2018/01/11/macos-high-sierra-bug-app-store-preferences-no-password/
• Tech for Good: How machine learning and rich data can help prevent pollution
  • https://betakit.com/tech-for-good-how-machine-learning-and-rich-data-can-help-prevent-pollution/
• B.C. experimenting with ‘blockchain’ to store and share crucial data
  • http://www.timescolonist.com/business/b-c-experimenting-with-blockchain-to-store-and-share-crucial-data-1.23131666

Stuff We Like

• Stuart – Zooniverse
• Derek – Enjin Wallet

What are you up to lately?

• Stuart – Was sick for most of the holiday’s (not fun). I’m now Board Chair at London Public Library. Really enjoying the contract position at Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry help desk. Keeping fingers and toes crossed that it turns into a permanent position.
• Derek – Had a nice holiday season. Enjoying the Google Home mini and Chromecast I got for Christmas! Was just at Kathleen’s company country-themed new year party on Friday, I came in second place in the Bloom token community rewards program to take home USD $3,000 of BLT, and thinking of becoming a crypto-focused YouTuber/podcaster.

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Music Credit:

“District Four” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0