Speaker Meeting

Speaker Meetings are informative presentations by knowledgeable guest speakers on a wide variety of topics related to emerging technologies. 

When:
Held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month, September - June
Meetings run from 9:30 - 11:30, with a coffee break / social time mid morning.

Where:
Downtown Community Centre, Multi-Purpose Room upstairs

Topics:
See below for information about this month, as well as upcoming and past speakers.

Club members are encouraged to use the City of Kitchener's Active Net portal to register for all club activities. Instructions to do this can be found on this Active Net Instruction Guide for Members.

March Speaker Meeting - Spotting FAKE News and DISinformation: How to tell Fact from Fiction in the NEWS

We'll be picking up where we left off from our January topic 'Real or Fake?' and paying attention to the growing challenges facing online journalism. 

Rather than a guest speaker, we will follow the same format as January and view a curated set of videos, interspersed with discussion and Q/A, moderated by executive members. We hope you'll join us for this timely and important topic.

A Review of this year's SPEAKERS and TOPICS - 2025 - 26:

September - Chanakya Ramdev - Sweat Free Telecom

October - Visit and Tour of Communitech 

November - Kevin Matsui, Artificial Intelligence 

December - Madeleine Kong, KPL, Online Library Services

January - Real or Fake: How to Tell the Difference Online

February - cancelled due to weather

March - MISinformation and DISinformation: How to Tell Fact from Fiction in the NEWS (This link will take you to the slides we used for this presentation. All of the video and resource links can be found in the slides.)

PAST SPEAKERS and TOPICS, 2024 - 25:

September - Dr. Carla Fehr, Who the Computer Sees: Race, Gender and AI

October - Lucy Santos, KPL, An Introduction to Smart Home Technology

November - Dr. Linda Lee - Dementia: What It Is, and How To Reduce Your Risk

December - Jenn Gerynowicz - Creating Comfort and Joy Around Technology

January - Peter Rasberry - Shutters and Sensors and Shooting Modes

February - John Handby - Artificial Intelligence - The Future is Now

March - Nicole Amaral - Welcome to the Digital Kitchener Innovation Lab

April - Video Call Alternatives to Skype (no guest speaker this month)

May -  Dr. Josephine McMurray - Your Watch Knows Where you Are - but SHOULD IT? - Exploring Location-Tracing Technologies in Long-Term Care

June - Constable Joshua Rhab, WRPS - Internet Safety

A valid Kitchener Group Card is required to attend in person meetings. Kitchener Group Cards are now on sale online, by phone, or in person at any Kitchener Community Centre. They are good for unlimited visits for many ongoing groups at any City of Kitchener Community Centre.