Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Mathew Iantorno (he/him) @mathewiantorno.com · 1d

📣🎮🍁 Attention Canadian video game nerds! The CFP for CGSA 2026 has been released.

CGSA/ACÉJ @cgsaacej.bsky.social · 2d

📣✨Call for Papers!📣✨

CGSA 2026 will take place at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec from June 11-14th, 2026.

This year’s chosen theme is “On Repeat”.

Submissions are due January 7th, 2026 at 11:59 PM PST

Full CfP here: gamestudies.ca/conference-c...

Conference // Conférence

Version française ci-dessous The 2026 CGSA/ACÉJ annual conference will be a hybrid event co-hosted by the Technoculture, Art and Games Lab (TAG) at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec&nbs…

gamestudies.ca

Reposted by Mathew Iantorno (he/him)

Emiel Boven @emielboven.itch.io · 2d

The 5th annual DURF Jam has begun! ✨

itch.io/jam/durf-jam...

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Mathew Iantorno (he/him) @mathewiantorno.com · 3d

It seems like every day Adobe is shoving another AI feature into Acrobat's interface that is enabled by default. I can't even search for words in a PDF without an AI suggestion now.

Screenshot of a search bar in Adobe Acrobat. The user is searching for the word "dice." AI assistant suggestions ask "Find content related to dice in the doc" and "What's important to know about dice?"

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Mathew Iantorno (he/him) @mathewiantorno.com · 10d

These stores were always more of a marketing stunt for Loblaws than a real business venture. I'm not surprised to see them go. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Loblaw piloted ultra-discount grocery stores in Ontario. A year later, most are closing down | CBC News

The St. Catharines store was the first to close in July, with the LaSalle location expected to close Oct. 25, according to the company.

www.cbc.ca

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Mathew Iantorno (he/him) @mathewiantorno.com · 10d

The physical infrastructure of the Internet is so fascinating. I was talking to my students this morning about how we tend to imagine technology through big metaphors like "the cloud," but at the end of the day, it's all wires and boxes.

404 Media @404media.co · 11d

Last week, thousands of people in Texas were suddenly knocked offline. The cause? A bullet. The outage hit cities all across the state, including Dallas, Irving, Plano, Arlington, Austin, and San Antonio.

🔗 www.404media.co/a-bullet-cra...

A Bullet Crashed the Internet in Texas

A ‘stray bullet’ 25,000 people offline near Dallas.

www.404media.co

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Mathew Iantorno (he/him) @mathewiantorno.com · 12d

Stumbled into a PizzaForno vending machine on my way back from a wedding in Barrie last month. Most of these machines have disappeared from downtown Toronto, but they're still deploying them in more rural areas of Ontario.

A PizzaForno pizza vending machine sitting in the middle of the floor of an OnRoute in Barrie.

A PizzaForno vending machine sitting in the middle of the floor of an OnRoute in Barrie.

Mathew Iantorno (he/him) @mathewiantorno.com · 16d

📢🍁📚 The call for papers for the Canadian Communication Association's annual conference is live! Submissions are due December 1. Great to see this event is continuing on in 2026 even though Congress is on hold for that year.

Nicole Cohen @nicolecohen.bsky.social · 19d

The Canadian Communication Association will host its 2026 conference at the University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario June 2-4, 2026. Call for papers in French and English: acc-cca.ca/index.php/co...

CCA 2026 // June 2-4 // Windsor – Canadian Communication Association

acc-cca.ca

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Reposted by Mathew Iantorno (he/him)

ICCIT @iccit-utm.bsky.social · 23d

Congratulations to ICCIT Professor Julie Yujie Chen for being awarded a @utm.utoronto.ca Annual Research Prize. This award recognizes outstanding early career faculty members from the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. www.utm.utoronto.ca/research-inn...

The stone sculpture marking the entryway of the University of Toronto Mississauga, marked with the name of the university.

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Reposted by Mathew Iantorno (he/him)

404 Media @404media.co · 24d

Reference librarian Eddie Kristan said lenders at the library where he works have been asking him to find books that don’t exist without realizing they were hallucinated by AI.

🔗 www.404media.co/librarians-a...

Librarians Are Being Asked to Find AI-Hallucinated Books

It’s a trippy time to have a library card.

www.404media.co

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Reposted by Mathew Iantorno (he/him)

Michael Iantorno 🍂🕹️ @michaeliantorno.com · Sep 10

I'm happy to announce the launch of 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝑵𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝑱𝒂𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓? - an interactive resource that provides post-jam guidance to game jammers!

I worked with @jimmunroe.net at GAIN to create this toolkit, which provides advice for jammers interested in commercial, artistic, or experimental development paths.

What's Next, Jammer? by Game Arts International Network

An interactive resource providing post-jam advice for game jammers

whatsnextjammer.org

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Mathew Iantorno (he/him) @mathewiantorno.com · Sep 5

So much of the value of Wikipedia is that it's rigorously reviewed and updated by humans. Leaning on AI would lead to an erosion of current standards. www.404media.co/jimmy-wales-...

Jimmy Wales Says Wikipedia Could Use AI. Editors Call It the 'Antithesis of Wikipedia'

Wikipedia's founder said he used ChatGPT in the review process for an article and thought it could be helpful. Editors replied to point out it was full of mistakes.

www.404media.co

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Mathew Iantorno (he/him) @mathewiantorno.com · Aug 27

I'm pleased to announce that I will be serving as a graduate fellow with the Centre for Culture and Technology for the 2025-2026 academic year! 📚✨ www.cultureandtech.utoronto.ca/programs#gra...

A wireframe drawing of the coach house, the home of the Centre for Culture and Technology.

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Reposted by Mathew Iantorno (he/him)

David William @nrvscrcts.bsky.social · Aug 21

"...[H]ikers use artificial intelligence to help them discover a route, only to discover that the trail is not safe. 'Since about one year ago, many people have begun to think everything on ChatGPT is correct...[i]t is not a tool for mountain advice, for routes, or for planning.'"

Why Are the Italian Alps So Deadly This Summer?

On average, three hikers have died every day throughout the summer in Italy’s high peaks. Experts explain why.

www.outsideonline.com

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Reposted by Mathew Iantorno (he/him)

Dr. Christine H. Tran @thechristinet.bsky.social · Aug 21

What's up, fellow docs? Today, I defended my PhD on Twitch livestreaming & the platform of playing-at-home!

Waves of thanks to all who got me over the finish line: my valiant committee, my pals & anyone who let me watch them play a game 🎮 (1/2)

OP an committee standing and waving before a Zoom screen featuring the hybrid committee members.

Screenshot of PhD version of the 2028 game with the win screen "You got a PhD!" Superimposed is a screenshot of OP's dissertation slidedeck.

OP in the grad cloth laughing at a Zoom screen of their committee member using the heart filter.

OP standing in the Wonder Woman pose in their grad wrap thing.

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Mathew Iantorno (he/him) @mathewiantorno.com · Aug 17

🧙📚✨ I'm still working on my silly Little Free Library RPG, and now it's available in Portuguese! Thank you to Freddy Pavão for providing the translation. mammothisland.itch.io/spellbinder/...

Spellbinder in Portuguese?!

I’m starting to feel like a broken record at this point, but another new translation of Spellbinder has been released. You can now play your favourite Little Free Library roleplaying game in Portugu.....

mammothisland.itch.io

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Mathew Iantorno (he/him) @mathewiantorno.com · Aug 13

If you haven't heard, the next meeting of the Canadian Communication Association will be held from June 2-4, 2026 at the University of Windsor. Great to hear that we're moving forward independently when Congress is on hiatus.

Students walking in front of Dillon Hall, a gothic revival style building on the University of Windsor's campus, during the summer.

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Mathew Iantorno (he/him) @mathewiantorno.com · Aug 13

My faculty is hiring... again! The Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto is looking for an Assistant Professor (Tenure Steam) in Knowledge Systems, Infrastructures, Communities, and Cultures. jobs.utoronto.ca/job/Toronto-...

The exterior of Robarts Library, a large brutalist concrete structure, during the summer.

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Mathew Iantorno (he/him) @mathewiantorno.com · Aug 6

Your periodic reminder that there is a Labour & Technology Scholars starter pack! Message me if you'd like to be added. go.bsky.app/UMaa7T3

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Mathew Iantorno (he/him) @mathewiantorno.com · Jul 29

I feel like I've been posting nothing but jobs lately, but it's that time of year! My faculty is hiring an Assistant Professor in Public AI and Cultural Institutions. jobs.utoronto.ca/job/Toronto-...

Outside of the Claude T Bissell building, a brutalist structure with the words "Faculty of Information, iSchool" on the outside.

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Reposted by Mathew Iantorno (he/him)

ICCIT @iccit-utm.bsky.social · Jul 28

The ICCIT is hiring! Our faculty is inviting applications for an Associate or Full Professor position in Organizational Studies, with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2026. jobs.utoronto.ca/job/Mississa...

An outdoor shot of a glass UTM building adjacent a tree in autumn.

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Reposted by Mathew Iantorno (he/him)

Dan Guadagnolo @danguad.bsky.social · Jul 28

Our dept @iccit-utm.bsky.social is hiring an associate or full prof of organizational studies! ICCIT is a great place to teach and research. I adore my colleagues and our brilliant, ambitious students. More details here: jobs.utoronto.ca/job/Mississa... @utoronto.ca @uoftmississauga.bsky.social

Associate Professor/Professor - Organizational Studies

jobs.utoronto.ca

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Reposted by Mathew Iantorno (he/him)

Dan Guadagnolo @danguad.bsky.social · Jul 25

UofT’s ischool is running a search for an assoc prof - Public Memory & Public Histories universityaffairs.ca/search-job/?...

Search Jobs - University Affairs

universityaffairs.ca

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Mathew Iantorno (he/him) @mathewiantorno.com · Jul 24

Big new job posting at the Faculty of Information. We're hiring an Assistant Professor (Tenure Stream), Digital Curation and Cultural Heritage. jobs.utoronto.ca/job/Toronto-...

Assistant Professor - Digital Curation and Cultural Heritage

jobs.utoronto.ca

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Mathew Iantorno (he/him) @mathewiantorno.com · Jul 24

Sort of expected there would be some maple-washing shenanigans. It's always been tricky to determine if grocery items are truly produced in Canada. www.cbc.ca/news/busines...

CBC investigation finds some big grocers promoting imported food with Canadian branding | CBC News

New data from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and a CBC News investigation suggest ongoing problems with country-of-origin signage in Canadian grocery stores. CBC also found questionable Canadian ...

www.cbc.ca

Mathew Iantorno (he/him) @mathewiantorno.com · Jul 24

I've written about the dangers of dynamic pricing in grocery stores, but airlines have always been the most predatory and opaque about their price tags. www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/pe...

Airlines are using AI to set ticket prices. Here’s how travellers can protect themselves

AI-driven dynamic pricing models could mean higher fares based on a customer’s personal data and past purchase behaviour

www.theglobeandmail.com