IBM opens innovation space for Canadian entrepreneurs and startups

IBM in partnership with Ontario Centres of Excellence and the Government of Ontario launched the IBM Innovation Space, a new startup hub in Toronto to accelerate innovation activities and investments in Ontario by helping businesses propel into the global marketplace.

The IBM Innovation Space is the first initiative to launch under the IBM Innovation Incubator Project, a $54 million dollar initiative funded by a $24.75 million dollar contribution from IBM and $22.75 million from the Government of Ontario’s Jobs and Prosperity Fund.  Other partners include the SOSCIP Research Consortium and members of the Ontario Network of Entrepreneurs (ONE).

Click to read more ...

Netflix plans to fill half of its catalog with originals in the coming years

Marvel's Luke Cage is a Netflix-exclusive show

In an effort to get more people to come and stay with its service, Netflix’s CFO David Wells talks about the streaming service’s plan to have at least half of its catalog be composed of its own original shows and movies in  the next few years. Netflix is supposedly “one-third to halfway” towards reaching that target. The service is steadily being known as home to a lot of acclaimed originals that are either made by Netflix themselves, co-produced with other studios, or acquired post-production. Wells says they’ll continue with this approach to reach that target. And if they’re able to get good content, this might help them keep subscribers on its service as other companies won’t have access to their exclusives.

Source: The Verge

Big tech companies pledge to help millions of refugees

U.S. President Barack Obama announced at the Leaders Summit on Refugees at the United Nations that tech companies are among the 51 companies who are “investing, donating, or raising” over US$650 million to help educate, employ, and train around 6.3 million refugees from 20 countries. Some of the companies include Microsoft, Facebook, Google, HP, TripAdvisor, Uber, SAP, and Airbnb. Earlier in June, the White House started an initiative that aimed at getting “measurable and significant commitments” from the private sector to help out the forcibly displaced. Google, HP, IBM, and Microsoft were among the 15 companies who helped found the initiative.

An example given by CNET is that Google plans to give a $1 million grant to the Clooney Foundation for Justice, which was established by George Clooney and his wife Amal, to help educate Syrian refugee children in Lebanon. Another example is Microsoft plans to work with local providers in Malawi to provide wireless broadband access to refugees and international aid organizations.

Dark Sky brings to-the-minute weather updates to new site

If you’re into weather forecasting, you might have heard of the handy Dark Sky app. Now, the Dark Sky Company is hoping to recreate that with a new website. The site will have the key features of the app and will show things like current temperature, weekly forecast, and to-the-minute rain forecast. According to Wired, the weather map shown is “situationally aware” and will change depending on what type of info is most relevant at the time. For example, it’ll show you the precipitation radar if it’s raining.

With the launch of darksky.net, the site Forecast.io will be shut down. The Forecast.io extension that developers can use will also be renamed to Dark Sky. The site is completely free and it looks like it’ll stay that way. It’s just meant to introduce users to what the app can do, which is available on Android and iOS.