Tata Consultancy Services to develop new app as Toronto Marathon sponsor

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has partnered with Canadian Running Series (CRS) to become the title sponsor and official IT services and technology consulting partner of the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon and Virtual Race.

In addition to a brand presence during the race,  TCS will launch an app that includes an environmental impact calculator that will allow both runners and spectators to track and offset their environmental impact. It will also use AR features that became popular during the pandemic to support both in-person and virtual runners.

The deal will run until Nov. 2026.

Patents reveal potential brand opportunities in Meta’s metaverse

Meta has had several patents for technology related to the metaverse approved by the U.S. Patent Office in recent months. An analysis by The Financial Times find that while many of them are biometric sensing technology to better represent peoples’ movements and facial expressions in virtual worlds, others are primed for monetization.

One of these is a virtual store where users can purchase both digital and real-world goods. Another appears to be a metaverse version of the company’s existing ad personalization framework, which personalizes ads based on their interaction with the platform, in addition to age, gender and interests. Finally, another patent is a technology that allows brands to “sponsor the appearance of an object” within virtual environments using a bidding process similar to programmatic advertising.

A comment from Meta stated that patents given to the company do not necessarily reflect technology that will eventually be used in its products and services. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has previously said the company intends to keep the price of its Oculus headsets low to key the barrier to entry to the metaverse low, while generating revenue primarily from advertising and supporting the sales of other brands’ goods and services.

CBC promotes Noorani to director of podcast division

CBC has named Arif Noorani to the newly created position of director of CBC Podcasts.

Previously helping to launch and grow CBC Podcasts as executive director, Noorani has now been tasked with leading the impact and success of it programs, lead its content strategy and identify new opportunities. He will also lead initiatives to grow audiences and spearhead partnerships with global podcast partners.