Tech

Jobs of the Future: Creativity meets technical proficiency in game design

Published

2 years ago

October 6, 2022

Some of Joshua Vaters’ fondest childhood memories are of playing videogames at home in Sudbury with his grandmother.

The digital pastime had always been part of his life growing up, and when it came time to decide on a future career, he had game design in his sights.

“I’ve always wanted to take game design, right out of the gate,” Vaters said.

“Videogames have always made me really happy, so I’ve always wanted to make games to make other people feel the same way.”

But by the time he was ready to attend college, the only program available was offered through a school in Toronto.

With a young daughter to care for, it just wasn’t feasible to enroll in a program four hours away, upending his family so he could follow his dream, Vaters said. Instead, he went to work.

Vaters trained as a professional rubber liner and conveyor belt technician, developing a niche set of skills over the last decade that put him in demand at mining sites and aggregate pits across the city.

But everything changed last summer when he got an email from Cambrian College announcing its brand-new game design program.

He instantly saw it as a chance to recapture the opportunity that had slipped by him so many years before.

“I was, like, ‘This is it; this is the time. I can’t live my life (thinking) ‘What if?’ So I gotta try it.'”

Vaters is now one of the inaugural cohort of the college’s game design program, which kicked off in September 2021.

Throughout the four-semester course, students learn about game design theory, the creation, application and production of games, and the use of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).

Thirty-five students signed up for its first intake, a robust response to a new course, said program coordinator Aaron Langille, an experienced computer programmer and lifelong videogame lover.

Many students are attracted to the program because it’s just plain fun, he noted.

But in an industry that, in 2021, generated an estimated $4.3 billion in Canada, videogame design is also sparking attention for the vast possibilities it presents.

“I don’t have to work hard to sell people on the idea of game design,” Langille said.

“It’s something that is starting to come so natural to people, because there’s been such a shift in not only the size of the game industry, but also in the perception of games as an actual valid thing to be doing.”

Though many students may dream of designing their own Minecraft or Call of Duty, the game design principles they learn in the program can easily be applied elsewhere, Langille said. That includes the videogame’s non-digital predecessor: board games.

Gamification — inserting game-like aspects into other applications — is a big trend in the corporate world right now, with many companies employing game tactics to make information or services more attractive to users.

“How do we engage people? How do we keep their interest? How do we tell interesting stories about things that might not be inherently interesting?” Langille said.

“All of those skills, we try to do our best in the game design courses to say, you can also use it in these instances as well.”

One example might be a company incentive program that encourages employees to meet their productivity quotas, he noted. Another is education; if an organization turns learning new information into a game, it instantly becomes more exciting and appealing.

Colleges, industry, and other employers are also using VR and AR in their training modules to provide learners with a simulation of scenarios they may encounter in their work.

For example, a common core student could put on goggles and be immersed in a VR tour of an operating mine before ever setting foot underground.

All that advanced technology requires someone to design, build, and implement it.

“Game sits at the intersection of so many media types, and so many creativity-based endeavours, and so many technical endeavours, that it’s impossible not to be learning transferable skills while you’re learning game design,” Langille said.

“So, I’d like to think that we’re opening a world of doors for our students. Even if they’re only thinking game design, there are so many places that they could go after they’re done.”

Sudbury is already home to a small, fledgling community of designers who work in the industry, and Langille predicts it will grow further in the coming years.

As punctuated by the COVID-19 pandemic, geographical location is no longer a barrier to work in many industries, game design included.

He believes it’s very feasible for designers in Sudbury, or elsewhere in Northern Ontario, to be collaborating with counterparts in locations around the globe.

“I think Northern Ontario’s ready, and I think it’ll be great to start seeing students come in from all over the place to be part of this,” Langille said.

“There’s no reason that we can’t be a hub of interest for people that are in Toronto that want to connect with us, too. We have ideas that are just as good as anybody else’s; there’s no question. I see it from my students and I see it from the people that I meet.”

Joshua Vaters still has another year to go before he’ll be ready to enter the industry, but the course so far has been eye-opening.

Though he’d been an aficionado in playing videogames, he hadn’t done much programming, and he said it’s been a welcome challenge to balance the creative and coding aspects of the work.

This past summer, he got first-hand experience in both after landing a coveted job with NORCAT, working with the innovation centre’s tech team on various projects, including the design of a VR program aimed at training new electricians on fire safety.

After graduation, he hopes to find work with a local company where he can continue to hone his skills in the industry that’s held a lifelong fascination.

Asked if it’s been worth it to make such a big change in his life, there’s no hesitation.

“Oh, definitely,” Vaters said. “I’m so much happier, and I’m enjoying it thoroughly. It’s really good.”

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Tech

Ottawa orders TikTok’s Canadian arm to be dissolved

Published

3 days ago

November 6, 2024

Anne Joseph

The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.

“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.

The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.

However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”

Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.

A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.

“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.

“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”

The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.

At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.

A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”

Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.

Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.

Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.

Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.

While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.

Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.

The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.

— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.

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Health

Here is how to prepare your online accounts for when you die

Published

2 weeks ago

October 24, 2024

Anne Joseph

LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?

It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.

Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:

Apple

The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.

For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.

You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.

Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.

Google

Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.

When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.

You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.

There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.

Facebook and Instagram

Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.

When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.

The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.

You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.

TikTok

The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.

Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.

It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.

Passwords

Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?

Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.

But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.

___

Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.

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Tech

Google’s partnership with AI startup Anthropic faces a UK competition investigation

Published

2 weeks ago

October 24, 2024

Anne Joseph

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.

The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.

The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.

“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”

San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.

Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”

“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.

The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.

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