In this episode, J. Richard Jones guest hosts Vanguard radio. He interviews Mathew Overton, Executive Director, Conference of Defence Associations and CDA Institute about the need to understand AI technology and its impact, upcoming events and projects that are being worked on. All this and more, on this episode of Vanguard radio.
In this episode of Vanguard radio, J. Richard Jones joins the show as guest host. He discusses Towed Reelable Active-Passive Sonar, (TRAPS) a new program for reservists and Canada’s role in the Iraq mission. All this and more, in this episode of Vanguard radio.
In this episode, Uber self-driving car killed a woman in Arizona recently, was that accident avoidable? There are many calls coming from different quarters to quite Facebook and streaming is taking over the music industry, so what's next?
Show Notes
Last Sunday, in the city of Tempe, Arizona, Elaine Herzberg who was 49 years old, attempted to cross a busy road. She was pushing a bicycle across the road about 100 meters from the closest pedestrian crosswalk when she was hit by a vehicle, which was travelling at 38 miles per hour in a 35 mile-per-hour zone.
The Police Chief of Tempe said the crash may have been unavoidable.
One analyst who follows autonomous vehicles, said laser and radar systems can see in the dark much better than humans or cameras and that the victim was well within the range.
He said, “It absolutely should have been able to pick her up. From what I see in the video it sure looks like the car is at fault, not the pedestrian.”
Delete Facebook
How often do you post on Facebook? A lot of people are calling for others to quit Facebook. Even the hashtag #DeleteFacebook is trending.
Many are wondering if it is time to say goodbye to Facebook.
At its best, Facebook is a nice way to stay in touch with friends around the world, in business to learn what’s important to the people we serve and to share the work we’re doing. But there’s a concern to all of this. The very data that make it work so well, have power, power that can be used for good or evil.
And because of this, many are now waking up to the concerns over privacy and how our personal information is being shared.
Streaming Music
Over the years we have seen the evolution of the way music is consumed. From cassettes to cds, then onto digital downloads. For a little while now streaming is the main way of getting our music.
Streaming music is taking over the music industry, and that can be seen with digital download sales which have fallen so much in the past few years that they’re now smaller than sales of CDs, vinyl, and other physical media.
A recent report shows that digital downloads fell to $1.3 billion last year, whereas physical media, while also falling, only declined to $1.5 billion.
An overview of the Shipbuilding Technology Forum 2018
In this episode of Vanguard Radio, Marcello Sukhdeo gives an overview of the Shipbuilding Technology Forum 2018 that was held recently in Ottawa.
On March 1st, over 150 attendees from the military and industry gathered at the Shaw Centre for Vanguard's fifth annual Shipbuilding Technology Forum. This event is a one-day conference with the aim to showcase emerging technologies, presentations on marine and shipbuilding issues and ship repair.
Vanguard has been working with industry, government and military over the years to provide a platform to create an environment for the different parties to share lessons and showcase cutting-edge technologies.
This year's event was built on the theme: Agility through Technology.
Hear an overview about presentations on:
Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security program, (IDEaS),
Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP),
Keynote by Andy Smith, Deputy Commissioner - Strategy and Shipbuilding, Canadian Coast Guard
Naval Infra-Red Search and Track Systems (IRST),
Decarbonization and Marine Propulsion Systems
Well, that was an overview of the event. I found it to be quite interesting, hearing about the different technologies currently available and what we can look forward to in the future. Especially, what can be done with autonomous technology and AI?
To learn more about the Shipbuilding Technology Forum, go to VanguardCanada.com, and click on the SHIPTECH 2018 tab.
Vanguard will be hosting the 2019 version of this event at the same time next year. Please stay tuned for more details.
CF-18 replacement suppliers shortlisted and marijuana legalization in the CAF
In this episode, Canada issues a shortlist of suppliers for CF-18 replacement competition. The Canadian military is trying to decide how to handle marijuana legalization and a look at an interview with Andy Smith, Deputy Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard.
Show Notes:
The Government of Canada has released a list of eligible suppliers who would be invited to submit bids for the country’s future fighter aircraft fleet competition. The Royal Canadian Air Force plans to purchase a total of 88 advanced fighter jets. These jets will replace the current CF-18 aircraft fleet, which has been serving Canada for more than 30 years.
The companies shortlisted to submit bids are:
· Boeing Super Hornet
· Lockheed Martin F-35
· Eurofighter Typhoon
· Dassault Rafale
· Saab Gripen
Speaking about the release of the suppliers, Canada Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains said, “The Government of Canada is leveraging procurement to create jobs, drive innovation, and grow small businesses. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to drive investment in innovation and research across all sectors of our economy, including with post-secondary institutions.”
The contract for the aircraft development program is expected to be awarded in 2021 or 2022.
Canadian military trying to decide how to handle marijuana legalization
With the legalization of marijuana being a topical issue in Canada, the military is looking at how to apply this to members of the CAF. Chief of defence staff Gen. Jonathan Vance said, “We’re going to try to be smart about it. But in the end, this is dangerous duty, this is serious duty for the country, and we don’t want people doing it stoned.”
Gen Vance made these comments during an appearance before the Senate defence committee.
“We are looking at it,” Vance told the committee. “I am very soon to make decisions on the specific and unique circumstances associated with military service that would preclude someone from using cannabis at a particular point in time.”
Interview
Vanguard recently conducted an interview with Andy Smith, Deputy Commissioner, Strategy and Shipbuilding, Canadian Coast Guard. In that interview, we asked him what are his top 3 short-term goals? Where he sees the future of shipbuilding for the Coast Guard given the average age of the fleet –
can it be done within the service lives of the current fleet or do you see a reduction in fleet capability/capacity? If he sees a long-term fleet capital investment program similar to the Navy for the Coast Guard? Also, he touches on maintenance and life extension, success stories - CCGS Sir John Franklin and strategies and programs of the Canadian Coast Guard that he is really excited about.
For the full interview, please go to VanguardCanada.com.