A Canadian startup could be making your new robot coworker (eventually).

What is audio data compression?

To turn music into a digital file, the sound wave is turned into data. The resulting files often leave out finer audio details but are smaller, which was important when people stored their music on a computer hard drive or MP3 player.

Some tech companies have found a novel strategy for success: selling stuff.

Alberta is learning that — while putting out an open invite is fun — sometimes you want to be more picky about who you have over.

What happened: Alberta launched the third phase of its Alberta is Calling campaign, which successfully lured in throngs of workers with its siren song (read: tax incentives and lower cost of living).

As one Canadian company has learned the hard way, taking carbon out of the atmosphere is easier said than done.

What happened: Alberta’s Capital Power is scrapping its $2.4 billion carbon capture project, one of the largest in Canada. The decision to pull the plug for financial reasons is another red flag about the long-term viability of carbon capture.

After competitor Vrbo launched an entire ad campaign calling out Airbnb for having too many novelty listings, it responded by (we assume) saying, “Screw it, we’re gonna add more novelty listings.”

Driving the news: Airbnb unveiled a new category called “Icons,” boasting a mix of unorthodox stays and celebrity hangouts. There are 12 Icon listings in the first batch, including a recreation of the house from Pixar’s Up, which is suspended in the air by a crane. 

Don’t look now, but the Houthi rebels are at it again.

Driving the news: Iran-backed Yemeni Houthis conducted what appears to be their first attack on a cargo vessel sailing through the deep ocean and not in and around their stronghold near the Red Sea — stoking fears about increased capabilities from the group. 

As post-IPO performances from shoe brands and vanity social media platforms disappoint, investors are looking to the Seven Seas for new buys.

What happened: Viking Cruises has set sail on the rocky waters of public trading, as shares of the luxury cruise line began trading yesterday after its US$1.54 billion IPO. It’s one of the biggest IPOs of the year so far, propelled by what looks like another banner year for cruises. 

Ontario is hoping the promise of less time sitting in the classroom will convince more students to swap their notebooks for hard hats. 

What happened: The Ontario government is launching a fast-track program in the fall designed to get more high school students into the trades, offering Grade 11 and 12 students the option of spending 80% of their would-be class time in apprenticeships.

The problem: Melanoma affects 132,000 people every year globally. While surgery and radiation can treat the disease, especially if it’s caught early, cancer cells can linger.

Your Instagram feed might soon be less dominated by reposted videos and screenshots of old tweets.

SNL’s Colin Jost telling a room of journalists that they were training AI that would replace them might be less ‘White House correspondents’ dinner joke’ and more ‘preview of this week’s tech news.’

G7 countries are hanging up their pickaxes and hardhats with lamp attachments as they prepare to dump coal as an energy source.

What happened: Member nations of the G7 (which includes Canada) have agreed on a plan to phase out coal power generation between 2030 and 2035. The agreement includes wiggle room for Germany and Japan, which still rely on coal for a quarter of their power.

After a years-long hiatus, business travellers are wiping the dust off their old carry-ons and saying sayonara to their home offices. 

Driving the news: The age-old business trip is seeing a resurgence as companies in Canada and the U.S. move on from virtual meetings and send their employees back into boardrooms and conferences around the world. 

For the last decade, the Trans Mountain pipeline has been like the kid that just keeps asking their parents for more money. Today, it finally has something to show for all that cash. 

What happened: The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion (TMX) officially launches operations today, a long-awaited feat that promises to boost Canadian oil exports and marks the finish of Canada’s most expensive — and frequently delayed — infrastructure project.

Many of us feel like we work too many hours, though almost none of us are told this by the federal government — unless you’re an international student, that is.

What happened: Starting in September, international post-secondary students will be able to work no more than 24 hours a week off-campus. 

Remember the Transformers movies? Experts from around the world are looking for ways (aside from hiring Shia LaBeouf) to keep it from becoming a reality. 

What happened: Civilian, military, and technology leaders from more than 140 countries met in Vienna yesterday to discuss how to check the growing risks associated with autonomous and AI-powered weapons. 

For thousands of Canadians, their relationship with Loblaws has reached the breaking point.

Driving the news: A month-long boycott of Loblaw-owned stores is set to begin tomorrow as fed-up shoppers protest stubbornly exorbitant prices at the nation's largest grocer. 

Now might be a good time to book that trip to Japan you’ve been dreaming of because your loonie is going to go a lot further than it used to.

What happened: The value of the Japanese yen fell to a 34-year low after the Bank of Japan said it would keep interest rates at a target of zero percent to 0.1%. 

Amazon is spending billions of dollars to make sure fans have to get Prime to watch the Raptors lose.

Driving the news: Amazon Prime and the NBA are close to a deal that will give the streamer exclusive rights to a significant package of regular season and playoff games beginning in the 2025-2026 season, per The Athletic.