Technology

The Week in Canadian Press Releases: 10 Stories You Need to See

Published

1 year ago

January 24, 2025

A roundup of the most newsworthy press releases from Cision Distribution this week

TORONTO, Jan. 24, 2025 /CNW/ – With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on Cision. To help journalists and consumers stay on top of the week’s most newsworthy and popular releases, here’s a recap of some major stories from the week that shouldn’t be missed.

The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download.

Sweat and Tonic Unveils New Concept Studio REFORMD – the Highest-Capacity Lagree Studio Worldwide
Sweat and Tonic, Toronto’s favourite boutique fitness and wellness destination offering the highest selection of group fitness classes in Canada, announces the launch of REFORMD — a groundbreaking new brand and concept studio set to open in spring 2025. Nestled within The Well™ and located just steps away from Sweat and Tonic’s second location that opened in December 2023, REFORMD is set to make history as the world’s highest-capacity Lagree method studio. This announcement comes less than a year after announcing plans to open their third location in Toronto’s prestigious Yorkville neighbourhood.Xanadu introduces Aurora: world’s first scalable, networked and modular quantum computer
Xanadu has achieved a world-first in the quantum computing industry by successfully building a universal photonic quantum computer consisting of four modular and independent server racks that are photonically interconnected and networked together. This 12 qubit machine, known as Aurora, consists of 35 photonic chips and a combined 13 km of fiber optics all operating at room temperature. With this breakthrough, Aurora could in principle be scaled up to thousands of server racks and millions of qubits today, realizing the ultimate goal of a quantum data center. This result is published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature and marks a pivotal milestone towards realizing utility scale quantum computing.York University Staff Association Receives ‘No Board’ Report and Pushes Back Against Rising Workloads and Cuts to Benefits
York University Staff Association (YUSA) is raising concerns over growing workloads, stagnant wages and proposed benefit reductions, as York University prioritizes management expansion over support staff. After months of bargaining without significant progress, YUSA is prepared to stand firm against concessions that threaten its members and the students they serve. YUSA, which represents over 1,600 administrative and technical workers at York University, has received a no-board notice from the Ontario Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development: this provides YUSA with the legal ability to call a strike as of 12:01 a.m. on February 7, 2025.Beneva and Gore Mutual to merge, strengthening mutual insurance’s role in Canada
“With this merger, we are strengthening Beneva’s position as the largest leading Canadian insurer with a mutual model, seizing a unique opportunity to ensure that mutuals remain a driving force in the Canadian insurance industry. A Beneva-Gore Mutual merger makes business sense and is the right move for our members, employees, and our communities, as the values are aligned and cultures are highly compatible, thanks to both companies’ commitment to the mutual model. This merger will enable us to accelerate our growth across Canada, and better diversify our insurance portfolio.” – Jean-François Chalifoux, President and CEO of Beneva Store-Closing Sales Underway Across Canada at all cleo Fashions, Ricki’s Fashions and Bootlegger Clothing Locations
Discounts of up to 40 percent off are available on all merchandise at 217 Ricki’s Fashions, cleo Fashions and Bootlegger Clothing stores across Canada in a major store-closing and inventory sell-off sale conducted by Tiger Group. The sale event comes as specialty fashion retailer Comark Holdings, Inc. (“Comark”) explores go-forward possibilities for all three brands. Comark, together with its Ricki’s, cleo and Bootlegger banners, commenced proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (“CCAA”) on January 7. Initial discounts on all merchandise run from 25 to 40 percent off the original ticketed price.TD Bank Group Accelerates CEO Transition; Announces Board and Committee Renewal
Raymond Chun, currently Chief Operating Officer, will be appointed Group President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on February 1, 2025, accelerating the previously announced transition date of April 10, 2025. Upon Mr. Chun’s appointment, Bharat Masrani will retire as Group President and CEO and from the Board of Directors (the “Board”). Mr. Masrani will remain available to the Bank in an advisory capacity until July 31, 2025; during the transition, he will provide continuity on the Bank’s critical Anti-Money Laundering (AML) remediation effort. The Board has also approved amendments to its Corporate Governance Guidelines to reduce the discretionary director term extension from five years to two years after an initial 10-year term.NG ENERGY ANNOUNCES THE SALE OF A 40% WORKING INTEREST IN SINU-9 FOR US$150 MILLION
NG Energy International Corp. (“NGE” or the “Company”) (TSXV: GASX) (OTCQX: GASXF) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a letter of intent (the “LOI”) with Etablissements Maurel & Prom S.A. (“Maurel & Prom” or “M&P”), pursuant to which NGE will sell a 40% operating working interest in the Sinu-9 Block (“Sinu-9”) to Maurel & Prom for total cash consideration of US$150 million (the “Transaction”), with an effective date of February 1, 2025. Sinu-9 covers an area of approximately 311,353 acres in the Department of Cordoba, Colombia, and is fully permitted with environmental approval granted by the National Authority of Environmental Licences to drill 22 wells from 11 locations.BrandSpark International announces its 22nd annual 2025 Best New Product Awards winners, recognizing the Best New Food, Beverage, Beauty, Health, Personal Care, Kids, Pet, Household Care, Home Goods, Quick Service Restaurant Menu Items and Services based on a nationwide survey of Canadian consumers
BrandSpark International is excited to announce the winners of the 22nd annual 2025 Best New Product Awards™, Canada’s most trusted consumer-voted awards for new products. This year, over 12,000 Canadians took part in a nationwide survey, rating products across 118 categories. From Food, Beverage, and Beauty to Household Care, Pet, and Kids’ products, the winners represent the most innovative and exciting launches that Canadians truly love—chosen by real shoppers who have actually purchased and tried them. The 2025 Best New Product Awards winners are listed below. To learn more about the program and this year’s winners, visit: www.BestNewProductAwards.com.AstraZeneca plans C$820 million (US$570m) investment in Canada to advance growing global hub and clinical delivery
AstraZeneca, a global pharmaceutical company focused on developing life changing medicines, today announced a C$820 million (US$570m) investment in Canada, creating more than 700 high-skilled jobs, across all areas of the business. The investment will support the move to a larger, state-of-the-art office facility in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Ontario. New investment in Canada will contribute to AstraZeneca’s global ambition to achieve US$80 billion in Total Revenue and to bring 20 new medicines to patients around the world by 2030 of which eight new medicines have already been launched to date. The Company also expects seven first Phase III clinical trial data readouts in 2025.New low carbon floating hotel and visitor destination proposed for Vancouver waterfront
A new 250-room floating hotel is being proposed for Vancouver by Finnish hotel developer, Sunborn International Holding (SBIH). In partnership with the Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre (VHFC), the hotel will be a unique, world-class hospitality venue, bringing new jobs, economic growth, and creating a new destination on the water. “The new floating hotel will be a jewel for the crown of Vancouver’s waterfront,” says Graham Clarke, Chairman of VHFC. “The new property will contribute to the urgent need for hotel rooms in Vancouver in an innovative and effective way, with no permanent footprint or environmental ramifications, adding new public spaces, viewpoints, cafés and restaurants to Vancouver’s vibrant waterfront.”

Read more of the latest releases from Cision, see our resources for journalists, and stay caught up on the top press releases by following @cnwnews.

About Cision Canada

Cision is a comprehensive communications platform enabling more than 100,000 public relations and marketing professionals around the world to understand, influence and amplify their stories. As the market leader, Cision enables the next generation of communication professionals to strategically operate in the modern media landscape where company success is directly impacted by public opinion. Cision has offices in 24 countries through the Americas, EMEA and APAC, and offers a suite of best-in-class solutions, including Newswire, Brandwatch, Cision Communications Cloud® and Cision Insights. To learn more, visit www.cision.ca and follow @CisionCA on Twitter.

SOURCE Cision Canada

Technology

POVADDO LAUNCHES NEW RESEARCH SERVICE GIVING ORGANIZATIONS DIRECT ACCESS TO INSIGHTS FROM PUBLIC POLICY PROFESSIONALS IN THE U.S. AND EUROPE

Published

36 minutes ago

May 4, 2026

The Povaddo Panel Omnibus introduces a new shared-survey format that makes high-quality policy professional insights accessible at a fraction of the cost of a bespoke study

ST. LOUIS, May 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Povaddo, a leading provider of public opinion and policy elite research, today announced the launch of the Povaddo Panel Omnibus — a new research service that gives companies and organizations an efficient, cost-effective way to access public policy professional insights across the United States and Europe. Unlike Povaddo’s custom research offerings, the omnibus format allows multiple organizations to share survey space, significantly reducing cost while maintaining the same access to high-quality insights.

Launched in 2018, the Povaddo Panel was built to meet the growing demand for research insights from individuals who shape, influence, and analyze public policy as part of their daily work. Over the past eight years, the panel has grown to nearly 5,000 public policy professionals worldwide, including more than 2,000 in the United States. Many panelists are former elected officials, including former Members of Congress. Each panelist is individually verified to ensure both authenticity and quality.

The 2026 Povaddo Panel Omnibus schedule includes three waves, with the first launching on June 15. Companies and organizations can field questions among 200 U.S. public policy professionals and/or 200 European public policy professionals, with results delivered within two weeks. Pricing begins at $4,500 for a five-question package among one audience, or $8,000 for both the U.S. and European audiences. Each omnibus package includes:

Question consultation to ensure clarity and effectivenessData collection among the selected audienceTopline results for the total sample and key subgroups

To learn more, reserve space in an upcoming wave, or submit questions, please visit the “Omnibus” section of Povaddo’s website or email omnibus@povaddo.com.

“Companies and organizations that want to understand what public policy professionals think—whether about their brand or an issue they are facing—now have a new and more streamlined way to do so. While organizations have long been able to commission custom research through Povaddo, our new omnibus survey among public policy professionals fills an important need in the research marketplace,” said Brooke Hayes, Executive Vice President of Povaddo, who oversees the Povaddo Panel and the firm’s new omnibus research service.

“The organizations that navigate complex policy environments most successfully are the ones that understand how the policy community thinks. The Povaddo Panel Omnibus makes that kind of insight accessible and actionable for any organization that needs it,” said William Stewart, President and Founder of Povaddo. “What’s more, we know many senior management teams are keen to measure their organizations’ reputation among this elite audience.”

The Povaddo Panel Omnibus launches alongside Povaddo’s most recent thought leadership study, which illustrates the kind of distinctive insights the panel is uniquely positioned to deliver. Povaddo’s 2026 survey of public policy professionals in the U.S. and Europe examines attitudes toward artificial intelligence, including AI regulation, labor market impact, misinformation risk, and the broader existential concerns of the policy community. A high-level summary of select key findings is available on Povaddo’s website, and the complete 38-page report is available for purchase at $500.

About Povaddo: Povaddo specializes in public opinion and policy elite research. Founded in 2009, Povaddo is recognized as a trusted advisor to top-tier organizations that are navigating complex issues management, strategic communications, corporate reputation, and business transformation challenges. Povaddo’s expertise spans external affairs, corporate affairs, public affairs, government affairs, regulatory affairs, scientific affairs, corporate communications, and business planning and strategy. For more information, please visit www.povaddo.com.

Inquiries:

Brooke Hayes
+1 (855) 768-2336
hayes@povaddo.com

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SOURCE POVADDO LLC

Technology

Tianma Highlighting Micro-LED HUD, Ultra-High-Refresh AMOLED, and Glasses-Free 3D Medical Display at Display Week 2026

Published

36 minutes ago

May 4, 2026

Tianma, a leading global manufacturer of flat panel displays, will showcase its latest display innovations at SID Display Week 2026, taking place May 5–7 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. At Booth 805, South Hall, Tianma will highlight three key technology demonstrations spanning automotive, mobile, and medical applications: a Micro-LED head-up display (HUD) designed for extreme brightness and transparency, an ultra-high-refresh-rate AMOLED display engineered for next-generation mobile performance, and a glasses-free 3D medical display enabling real-time 2D/3D visualization.

CHINO, Calif., May 3, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Tianma, a leading global manufacturer of flat panel displays, will showcase its latest display innovations at SID Display Week 2026, taking place May 5–7 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

At Booth 805, South Hall, Tianma will highlight three key technology demonstrations spanning automotive, mobile, and medical applications: a Micro-LED head-up display (HUD) designed for extreme brightness and transparency, an ultra-high-refresh-rate AMOLED display engineered for next-generation mobile performance, and a glasses-free 3D medical display enabling real-time 2D/3D visualization.

This year, at the annual Business Conference on Monday, May 4, Tianma’s Jun Chen, Ph.D., Senior Manager, Automotive Market Development, will be a featured panelist during the Automotive Forum. In addition, Tianma has entered several new cutting-edge products and technologies into SID’s annual People’s Choice Awards competition, honoring the best products at Display Week.

KEY TECHNOLOGY HIGHLIGHTS

Micro-LED IRIS HUD for Next-Generation Automotive Displays

Tianma’s 12-inch Micro-LED IRIS HUD is engineered to address one of the most critical challenges in automotive display design: maintaining visibility under all lighting conditions without compromising driver awareness.

Delivering peak brightness exceeding 120,000 nits, the display remains clearly visible even in direct sunlight. Its Micro-LED architecture enables an ultra-thin optical engine (approximately 2 mm), while a transparent front-window design eliminates the need for black masking layers — preserving the driver’s field of view and supporting more advanced, integrated cockpit designs.

Ultra-High-Refresh AMOLED for Next-Generation Mobile Performance

In mobile display technology, Tianma will showcase a 6.32-inch AMOLED display with a 240Hz refresh rate, designed to overcome the traditional trade-offs between speed and image accuracy. The display incorporates a dual-track pixel driving architecture, separating data writing and threshold compensation to maintain stable, precise pixel control at high refresh rates. This approach significantly reduces motion artifacts while preserving low-gray detail, enabling smoother visuals and improved image stability for high-performance mobile applications.

Glasses-Free 3D Medical Display with Multi-Region 2D/3D Switching

For advanced professional applications, Tianma will present a 27-inch 4K medical-grade glasses-free 3D display, introducing multi-region 2D/3D switching capabilities. Unlike conventional systems limited to full-screen 3D, this display enables simultaneous presentation of 2D and 3D content, with seamless, real-time switching between modes. The system integrates low-latency eye tracking and real-time rendering, making it well suited for medical environments where precision, flexibility, and sterile operation are critical.

BROAD PORTFOLIO OF DISPLAY INNOVATIONS

In addition to these featured technologies, Tianma will present a wide range of display solutions across automotive, consumer, and professional applications.

In automotive, Tianma will showcase a transparent Micro-LED tiling display with over 60% transparency and a scalable, modular design, along with a 43.7-inch ultra-wide IRIS HUD featuring high brightness and curved integration for immersive cockpit environments.

In consumer electronics, Tianma will highlight its latest AMOLED innovations, including SLOD and U11 architectures designed to improve efficiency, brightness, and device lifetime, as well as a foldable AMOLED prototype engineered to reduce crease visibility and improve durability.

For IT applications, Tianma will demonstrate a 27-inch QHD Oxide TFT LCD with a native 610Hz refresh rate, setting a new benchmark for ultra-high-frame-rate displays.

In professional and industrial applications, Tianma will also feature an adaptive refresh Oxide display (20–144Hz) designed to balance high performance with power efficiency.

Advancing Display Innovation Across Applications

Together, these demonstrations reflect Tianma’s continued investment in Micro-LED, AMOLED, and advanced LCD technologies, enabling new levels of performance, efficiency, and integration across automotive, consumer, and professional markets. More information about the innovative new display solutions being displayed by Tianma is available at Booth 805 at Display Week and in the Tianma press kits, accessible online at usa.tianma.com/press Visit usa.tianma.com for more details.

About Tianma America, Inc.

Tianma America delivers advanced display solutions for the Americas, leveraging the global resources and innovation of the Tianma Group. Our expertise spans small to medium-size displays for a wide range of applications, including automotive, industrial, medical, consumer electronics, and emerging technologies.

As part of the Tianma Group, we combine world-class R&D with manufacturing capabilities across China and Japan to offer cutting-edge technologies such as TFT, LTPS, Oxide-TFT, AMOLED, flexible and transparent displays, and integrated touch solutions.

Through a strong network of distributors and partners, Tianma America provides complete display module solutions that meet the highest standards of quality and performance.

Specifications and pricing are subject to change without notice.

Media Contact

Dale Maunu, Tianma America, Inc., 1 408-313-5642, Dale.Maunu@Tianma.com, usa.tianma.com

Bill Maurer, Macrovision, 1 215-327-8109, bill@macrovis.com, macrovision.com

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SOURCE Tianma America, Inc.

Technology

FranklinWH Introduces Enhanced 15 kWh aPower in Australia and New Zealand

Published

3 hours ago

May 3, 2026

Expansion comes as policy shifts and rising power costs accelerate demand for residential energy storage

SYDNEY, May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — FranklinWH, a leading provider of whole-home energy management and battery storage solutions, today announced the launch of its enhanced 15 kWh aPower battery in Australia and New Zealand, as demand for residential energy storage continues to grow, driven by evolving policy settings and increasing interest in energy independence.

The updated aPower builds on the company’s established platform, increasing usable capacity from 13.6 kWh to 15 kWh and raising warrantied throughput from 43 MWh to 60 MWh, an increase of 40 percent. These updates deliver more usable energy over the life of the system while maintaining the same footprint and price.

“The energy landscape is shifting quickly, and more homeowners are thinking beyond the upfront specs to what really pays off over time,” said Steve Ruskin, General Manager of FranklinWH Australia. “This upgrade is about delivering more performance over the life of the system, more usable energy, greater throughput, while staying true to our ‘buy once, buy right’ philosophy.”

The increase in warrantied throughput translates into savings for homeowners. Based on typical usage patterns and an electricity rate of A$0.35 per kilowatt-hour, the additional throughput may represent up to approximately A$5,950 in value over the lifetime of the system. The increase in usable capacity also improves energy density, lowering the effective cost per kilowatt-hour and supporting more efficient use of stored energy.

The 15 kWh configuration also aligns with current and upcoming policy frameworks benefitting residential battery adoption. This includes the updated Cheaper Home Batteries Program, with changes coming into effect for Australian homeowners from 1 May, 2026, helping households maximise value as incentives continue to evolve.

As the residential battery market expands, FranklinWH continues to focus on reliability and system performance. The aPower incorporates design elements to support durability, including structural reinforcement to reduce cell stress over time, per-cell temperature monitoring, and the separation of the battery pack and control systems to maintain reliable performance.

“We believe performance should be measured over years, not just at installation,” Ruskin added. “We focus on building systems that deliver consistent, reliable results over time. That long-term perspective is what ultimately defines value for homeowners.”

The aPower is designed to operate as part of the FranklinWH System, an integrated home energy management platform that coordinates energy generation, storage, and consumption. The system is designed to optimise multiple energy inputs, provide reliable backup power, and support more efficient and independent energy use at the household level.

About FranklinWH

FranklinWH Energy Storage is the manufacturer of the FranklinWH System. FranklinWH is a market-oriented, research-driven company focused on next-generation residential energy management and storage solutions. Located in Macquarie Park, Sydney with a global head office in the San Francisco Bay Area, FranklinWH’s team has decades of experience in energy systems, from design, through manufacturing, to sales and installation. FranklinWH is AVL-listed with multiple financial institutions.

Contact: Media@franklinwh.com

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SOURCE FranklinWH Australia Pty Ltd