NOMINATION CATEGORIES FOR 2025 BIZ X AWARDS

(NOMINATION FORM LOCATED AFTER CATEGORY LISTINGS BELOW)

BUSINESS & SERVICE (*No national chains/non-profits allowed) *Once a business is nominated in one category they cannot be nominated in any others.

1. Outstanding New Business Of 2025 (Businesses that opened from September 1, 2024 to September 1, 2025) *No restaurants/food trucks or bars can be included as they can participate in the Hospitality & Entertainment Categories.

2. Heartbeat Heroes (Your lifeline in emergency situations! First aid, CPR and/or health & safety training.)

3. Concrete Proof This Contractor Is Set In Stone (Residential, industrial and commercial concrete providers using reliable equipment and techniques with an experienced crew.)

4. Brilliant Bathroom Renovators (Bathroom remodelling companies, residential and/or commercial.)

5. Distinguished Biz Champ Of The Year (A company in operation for over one year that has done something exceptional to take care of business.) *No restaurants/bars or retail shops as they have their own categories. Remember if a business is nominated here they cannot participate in any other category.

6. Hitch Your Wagon To This Star Auto Centre (Mechanic shops that specialize in one area of car repair or can fix your entire vehicle.)

7. Captivating Content Creator (A digital video firm to hire for your social media pages/website, commercials and possibly help with animation, podcast production, and graphic design.)

PEOPLE *The business/organization the nominee owns or works for cannot be nominated elsewhere.

8. 2025 Powerhouse Professional (A local business owner or top manager who has what it takes to keep the company/organization they own or work for, profitable in today’s tough times.)

9. Artist Of The Year (For example a singer, painter, musician, sculptor, band, or actor.) *No authors or photographers please.

10. Exceptional Social Enterprise (A team of workers at a non-profit organization or registered charity making a big difference in our community.)

11. Dance Up A Storm With This Instructor (For children and/or adults, an experienced, patient teacher who encourages students in different styles of dance.)

12. First-Rate Financial Advisor (A money manager who helps grow your portfolio and assists with financial goals like retirement planning.)

13. A Pet Owner’s Best Friend (An owner or employee of a pet sitting service, a dog trainer, groomer or individual organizing pet adoptions/rescues through his/her business/organization etc.) *No pet food suppliers or kennels allowed.

RETAIL (*No national chains/non-profits allowed) *Remember, once a business is nominated in one category they cannot be nominated in any others.

14. The Best Little Retail Shop Of 2025 (Open to all retailers with good prices, fantastic customer service and selection.) *They must have a storefront, no online only companies as they can participate in category #15.

15. The Leading Local E-Commerce Retailer (A business that is web based only and sells goods or services ranging from cookies to gift baskets, clothing, bookkeeping and more.) *If they have a brick-and-mortar location, choose category #14 instead.

16. The Right Stuff, Made In Canada Eh (Whether it is maple syrup, souvenirs, artisan gifts, beverages, sauces and more, if it’s made in Canada, it qualifies to be nominated here!) *No restaurants unless a retail product like sauce, wine jelly etc. is sold.

17. Finest Place To Get Floored (Where to purchase flooring products such as tile, vinyl, hardwood/engineered wood, laminate, or carpet/rugs for your home or business. Installation may or may not be a factor.)

18. Cream Of The Crop Veggie/Fruit Supplier (A market, stand, farm or produce outlet for local fruit and/or vegetables.) *No large farmers’ or night markets can be included.

19. Ethnic Enterprise Making A World Of Difference (This business may sell international grocery items in a market/deli and/or ethnic products in a shop that is a little piece of home for local immigrants.)

HOSPITALITY & ENTERTAINMENT (*No national chains/non-profits allowed; exception only for events #24) *Remember, once a business/organization is nominated in one category they cannot be nominated in any others.

20. Restaurant That’s Hot, Hot, Hot For 2025 (Can be a new or an existing restaurant or food truck that offers exceptional cuisine, fair prices and has a unique, trendy atmosphere — patio dining and/or take-out only is also acceptable.)

21. Holy Guacamole, Mexican Meal Heaven (Dine-in or pick-up, the eatery to enjoy authentic Mexican food.)

22. #1 Public Golf Course By Par (Consider course maintenance, clubhouse onsite, cart rental amenities, practice range, course rating) *No private member golf clubs can be nominated.

23. The Perfect Venue For Unforgettable Celebrations (A stunning event setting for birthday parties, special occasions, weddings, memorials and/or corporate functions and so on.) *No ethnic or golf clubs please.

24. The Most Wonderful Event Of The Year (Night Markets, annual runs, golf tournaments, motorcycle rides, charity fundraisers, festivals, trade shows etc.) *EXCEPTION: Non-profits and charities can participate.

Please click here see the rules before nominating.

2025 BIZ X AWARDS NOMINATION FORM

IF YOUR NOMINATION WAS SUCCESSFUL YOUR COMPUTER SCREEN WILL LET YOU KNOW WE HAVE RECEIVED IT AND YOU WILL ALSO GET A CONFIRMATION EMAIL.

IF YOU DO NOT SEE THIS MESSAGE, THERE IS AN ERROR IN YOUR FORM AND WE DID NOT GET YOUR NOMINATION. PLEASE MAKE SURE THE REQUIRED FIELDS ARE FILLED OUT.

The post Nominations Open For 2025 Biz X Awards appeared first on Biz X magazine.

Have you Heard about the Ransomware Attack on Car Dealerships?

Have you heard about the ransomware attack on car dealerships?

The post Ransomware Attack on Car Dealerships appeared first on Biz X magazine.

Biz X Was There – Opening Night For The 21st Annual Windsor Jewish Film Festival

The Windsor Jewish Federation & Community Centre hosted an Opening Reception on June 17, 2024 at the Capitol Theatre, downtown Windsor to kick off the 21st annual Windsor Jewish Film Festival running from June 17 to 20, 2024.

The goal of the festival is to expose the Jewish and non-Jewish community alike to the diversity of their culture, to overcome the barriers to attendance of Jewish entertainment for both the secular Jewish population and the non-Jewish population.

For two decades, the Windsor Jewish Community Centre has proudly hosted this film festival that showcases the best of Jewish films. Once again the lead sponsor is the Ruth and Bernard Friedman Endowment Fund.

Each year, the attendance at the festival grows, discovered, attended and supported by people from across Windsor Essex, and beyond. The Windsor Jewish Film Festival is now a highly anticipated event on our community’s calendar and receives high recognition from local news media. Biz X magazine is a proud sponsor as well.

This year’s event features their usual exciting line-up of 10 films (click the link to the website above for descriptions of each and the times), vetted by a volunteer jury, from dozens of festival winners from around the world. As always, there is a great mix of drama, comedy and documentary – something for everyone!

The price to attend is $14 per film or $39 for three films. Tickets are sold at the Capitol Theatre during the festival. Cash only please.

And now in our photo gallery, Biz X special correspondent Jack Eisenberg attended the Opening Night reception to get a few photos of the VIP guests and sponsors in attendance. Please see the accompanying photo gallery.

The post Biz X Was There – Opening Night Jewish Film Festival appeared first on Biz X magazine.

Severe Security Flaws in Mobile Chipset Expose Voice and Data

According to this article published on the Bleeping Computer website, Google’s Project Zero bug hunting team has reported the results of an investigation that uncovered 18 zero-day vulnerabilities in mobile devices that use Samsung’s EXYNOS modem chipset. Among the vulnerabilities are some that allow attackers to steal data and monitor conversations simply by knowing your mobile phone number.

Vulnerability is present when using free wi-fi calling and Voice over LTE!

Of the 18 vulnerabilities discovered by the team, 14 have already been addressed by Samsung, and they have provided patches to various device distributors. However, Samsung does not control when those distributors make the patches available to the public. The remaining 4 vulnerabilities are so severe that Google has broken with tradition and elected NOT to make details of the vulnerabilities public until Samsung has more time to address the issues.

Devices affected by the security vulnerabilities include Samsung phone models (S22, M33, M13, M12, A71, A53, A33, A21, A13, A12 and A04 series); Vivo phone models (S16, S15, S6, X70, X60 and X30 series); Pixel phone models (Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 series); as well as any wearables using the Exynos W920 chipset and any vehicles that use the Exynos Auto T5183 chipset.

Steps to Protect Yourself from these Vulnerabilities

1. Ensure that you have updated the software on your mobile devices (including wearables and in-car systems) as soon as a patch is released. If you are unsure whether your device or vehicle is affected, contact the manufacturer for guidance.
2. If your mobile device is on the list, stop using your device to place free phone calls over the internet. Only place calls using your phone’s SIM card.

Summary

Most of the security flaws discussed here have already been patched, so if you are allowing your devices to apply security updates, you are at least partially protected. By discontinuing the use of free wifi calling using the internet, you can avoid having your data and voice calls monitored and stolen.

Jack Eisenberg, Owner
Safe and Secure Computing

The post Severe Security Flaws in Popular Phones appeared first on Biz X magazine.

Smart UPS Models From APC Have Been Hacked

It’s been a while since I have sent out a security alert. I tend not to bother with alerts that have been reported in the mainstream media. This alert concerns “Smart” uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) aka a “Battery Backup,” carrying the APC brand.

I recommend UPS products to my clients because they keep your computer running for a short period after your home or business loses power. This gives you the opportunity to save your work and tidy things up before the UPS battery shuts down your computer.

The new generation of “Smart” UPS devices can be controlled remotely, and it is those internet-connected devices that have been hacked. If you are using a consumer-grade UPS (such as the Back-UPS series), this message does not apply to you.

However, if you are using a Smart-UPS model from APC, you must take steps immediately to prevent the following issues:

• malicious damage to your battery
• damage to the equipment connected to your battery
• theft or corruption of information on any of the computers on the same network as your battery

You may read more about this issue here. Please follow the instructions pertinent to your specific model.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Jack Eisenberg, Owner
Safe and Secure Computing

P.S. As a consequence of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, there has been a significant uptick in hacking events as well as scams related to Ukraine relief. Please be careful of any unsolicited email you receive, as it may contain malicious content or fraudulent pleas for assistance.

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