🚨 Daily Tech & AI Pulse | 2026-01-09

🌍 Global Tech News

🚀 OpenAI to acquire the team behind executive coaching AI tool Convogo (link)
🤖 OpenAI continues its expansion with the acquisition of Convogo's team, adding to its M&A spree and enhancing its capabilities in AI-driven executive coaching.

🌐 Snowflake to acquire Observe, offer its AI observability tools to enterprises (link)
🤖 Snowflake is bolstering its data stack with the acquisition of Observe, aiming to enhance AI observability within enterprises, reflecting the growing importance of AI monitoring and management.

🔒 Hackers abuse Google Cloud to send trusted phishing emails (link)
🤖 Cybercriminals exploit legitimate Google Cloud tools to send phishing emails, highlighting the need for robust cybersecurity measures in cloud environments.

🌐 Illusion of Perfect Capture: Building a Searchable Knowledge Base with AI Note-Taking (link)
🤖 AI-powered note-taking tools are transforming how technical teams capture and organize information, moving beyond simple transcription to create actionable, searchable knowledge assets.

🌐 Dopamine Inflation: How Social Media and AI Raised the Price of Attention (2020–2025) (link)
🤖 An in-depth look at how social media and AI have changed the dynamics of attention and engagement, raising the bar for content creators and consumers alike.

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☁️ Cloud Infrastructure & IT Management Platforms

🚀 Kubernetes v1.35: Mutable PersistentVolume Node Affinity (alpha) (link)
🤖 Kubernetes v1.35 introduces mutable PersistentVolume Node Affinity (alpha), enabling more flexible online volume management, reflecting the evolving needs of stateful applications.

🚀 Nvidia’s reportedly asking Chinese customers to pay upfront for its H200 AI chips (link)
🤖 Nvidia's decision to require upfront payments for its H200 AI chips in China underscores the geopolitical and economic complexities surrounding advanced AI hardware.

🚀 How KPMG is redefining the future of SAP consulting on a global scale (link)
🤖 KPMG leverages SAP’s conversational AI solution, Joule for Consultants, to enhance its SAP consulting services, showcasing how AI is reshaping enterprise IT management.

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🍁 Canada Tech Scene

💼 D-Wave strikes $550-million USD deal to acquire Quantum Circuits (link)
🤖 D-Wave’s acquisition of Quantum Circuits marks a significant move in the quantum computing space, aiming to expand its gate-based computing capabilities.

💼 MDA Space signs contract with US Department of War agency to potentially help with “Golden Dome” project (link)
🤖 MDA Space secures a contract to support the US Department of War's "Golden Dome" project, highlighting its role in advanced defense technologies.

💼 Criticism of Grok’s non-consensual sexual images highlights gaps in Canada’s deepfake laws (link)
🤖 The controversy surrounding Grok’s image generation features exposes the legal and ethical challenges surrounding deepfake technology in Canada.

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💼 Canada Job Market

💼 Canadian VC’s perfect storm, BC’s roaming robo-barns, and a CES tech check (link)
🤖 A snapshot of the Canadian tech landscape, including venture capital dynamics, innovative farming solutions, and the latest tech trends from CES.

💼 Embassyspace signs contract with US Department of War agency to potentially help with “Golden Dome” project (link)
🤖 Embassyspace secures a significant contract, further demonstrating Canada's role in advanced defense and space technology.

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🚀 Startups & Funding

🚀 D-Wave strikes $550-million USD deal to acquire Quantum Circuits (link)
🤖 D-Wave's acquisition of Quantum Circuits marks a significant move in the quantum computing space, aiming to expand its gate-based computing capabilities.

🚀 Snowflake to acquire Observe, offer its AI observability tools to enterprises (link)
🤖 Snowflake is bolstering its data stack with the acquisition of Observe, aiming to enhance AI observability within enterprises, reflecting the growing importance of AI monitoring and management.

🚀 OpenAI to acquire the team behind executive coaching AI tool Convogo (link)
🤖 OpenAI continues its expansion with the acquisition of Convogo's team, adding to its M&A spree and enhancing its capabilities in AI-driven executive coaching.

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💡 Top 5 GitHub Repositories

1. OthmanAdi/planning-with-files (link)
   ⭐ 6,344 stars | 🍴 525 forks | 💻 Shell | 📅 Created 6 days ago | 🔄 Updated 0 days ago | 📜 MIT License | 🟢 Active
   📝 Claude Code skill implementing Manus-style persistent markdown planning — the workflow pattern behind the $2B acquisition.

2. ChrisWiles/claude-code-showcase (link)
   ⭐ 2,702 stars | 🍴 256 forks | 💻 JavaScript | 📅 Created 2 days ago | 🔄 Updated 0 days ago | 📜 No license | 🟢 Active
   📝 Comprehensive Claude Code project configuration example with hooks, skills, agents, commands, and GitHub Actions workflows.

3. Lightricks/LTX-2 (link)
   ⭐ 1,644 stars | 🍴 163 forks | 💻 Python | 📅 Created 6 days ago | 🔄 Updated 0 days ago | 📜 Other | 🟢 Active
   📝 Official Python inference and LoRA trainer package for the LTX-2 audio–video generative model.

4. huseyinbabal/taws (link)
   ⭐ 1,637 stars | 🍴 46 forks | 💻 Rust | 📅 Created 5 days ago | 🔄 Updated 0 days ago | 📜 MIT License | 🟢 Active
   📝 Terminal UI for AWS (taws) - A terminal-based AWS resource viewer and manager.

5. ophub/fnnas (link)
   ⭐ 1,149 stars | 🍴 187 forks | 💻 Shell | 📅 Created 3 days ago | 🔄 Updated 0 days ago | 📜 GNU General Public License v2.0 | 🟢 Active
   📝 Supports running FnNAS on Amlogic, Allwinner, and Rockchip devices. Support a311d, s922x, s905x3, s905x2, s912, s905d, s905x, s905w, s905, s905l, rk35...

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🧠 Pulse Summary

This week's pulse reflects the dynamic landscape of AI and tech, with significant M&A activity, advancements in cloud infrastructure, and ongoing discussions around the ethical and legal implications of AI tools. The integration of AI into various sectors, from executive coaching to observability platforms, underscores its growing importance. Meanwhile, the Canadian tech scene continues to innovate, with notable deals and projects gaining traction. As AI tools become more accessible and integrated, the focus remains on ethical use, legal frameworks, and the responsible management of AI-driven systems.