• August 15, 2022
  • Tech

Get ready to see more iAdvertising

What is the one thing you’re missing on your Apple devices?

If you said “a headphone jack,” you’re unfortunately out of luck. But if “more advertising” is an idea that gets you jazzed, then we have good news: Apple is preparing to beef up its ad business and could roll out more placements across pre-installed apps like Maps, Books, and Podcasts.

Why it matters: Premium products, not advertising, have been Apple’s bread and butter since Steve Jobs set the company’s direction in the late 1990s. Expanding its ad business would be a significant shift in Apple’s strategy.
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Canadian rents return to pre-pandemic highs

Sure, it may be very expensive to buy a home in Canada, but don’t forget it’s also very expensive to rent one—and getting pricier every month, as average rents across the country have returned to their pre-pandemic high of nearly $2,000, according to new data from Rentals.ca.

Why it’s happening: The reversal of two pandemic-era trends—the flight from cities and rock-bottom interest rates—is driving the rent surge.
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Northern struggles with food insecurity

The global food crisis wreaking havoc on the world’s poorest nations is also taking its toll on Canada’s most remote northern communities.
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Next round is on the groom

As the post-pandemic wedding boom picks up in Canada, so are bachelor and bachelorette festivities. The only problem? They’ve become more expensive than ever (thanks, inflation). 
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Temporary help wanted

As Canadian employers face the lowest unemployment rate in decades, they’re moving to fill roles with temporary foreign workers (or TFW, for short), per The Globe and Mail. 
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The housing correction picks up pace

The Canadian housing prices will fall by ~25% from recent all-time highs by the end of next year, according to a new report from Desjardins.
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The CPPIB’s last quarter could have been worse

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) posted a loss of 4.2% last quarter, or roughly $16 billion—that sounds bad, but it actually outperformed the market (the S&P/TSX Composite Index fell nearly 9% in the same time frame) and other Canadian pension plans.
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Russian oil is doing just fine

When Russia invaded Ukraine back in February, sanctions sounded like the right idea: Squeeze Russia’s economy until the fallout renders it unable to continue fighting the war.

But in reality, things have played out a little bit differently. 
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Take your pineapples on pizza somewhere else

La vita isn’t very dolce right now for Domino’s after the pizza chain failed to take off in the saucy dish’s birthplace.
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Europe's rivers are running dry

Extreme heat and low rainfall threaten to dry up a key part of the Rhine river, blocking passage through one of Europe’s most important shipping routes.
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Hand over the corporate cards

As a wave of economic uncertainty hits Big Tech, Microsoft is reining in the fun money.  
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  • August 10, 2022
  • Tech

No more green bubbles

Android users know that there is no greater indignity than being the only green bubble in a friend group of iPhone users. Google is now stepping up to fight this injustice. 
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Holding airlines accountable

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse for Canada’s airlines and airports, the government has launched an investigation into the flight cancellations making headlines. 
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  • August 10, 2022
  • Tech

Netflix tries to level up

Did you know that Netflix has games? You’re not alone if you answered no: 99% of its subscribers have never experienced the joy of playing Exploding Kittens, Hextech Mayhem, or any other game on the platform. 
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Where are Canada’s nurses?

Hospital shutdowns that began in small communities have now spread to big cities, as provincial healthcare systems strain under devastating nursing shortages. 
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China’s getting robotaxis

If you find yourself hailing a ride in Wuhan and Chongqing, you won’t have to worry about making awkward chitchat with the driver… because soon, there won’t be one.   
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A soft year for tech

“I am ashamed of myself for being so elated by big profits in the past” are not exactly the words you want to hear from your CEO ahead of a make-or-break earnings report. 
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What Biden’s climate bill means for Canada

The US Senate passed large parts of President Biden’s domestic agenda yesterday in a landmark bill that will spend almost US$400 billion on clean energy programs and put the White House’s climate goals within reach.

Why it matters: As a former Prime Minister once said, living next to the United States “is like sleeping with an elephant [...] one is affected by every twitch and grunt.” And hundreds of billions of dollars in new spending—quite a bit more than a twitch—is going to reverberate through Canada’s economy. 
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Canada’s energy battleground moves east

Big battles over energy policy aren’t just for Western Canada anymore. Environmental groups are gearing up to fight plans to build new energy infrastructure on the East Coast that would export liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Canada to Europe.

What happened: Major environmental campaigners, including the Sierra Club and Greenpeace, launched the “StopTheGas” coalition last week to oppose LNG projects on the East Coast. 
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