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The PlayStation 5’s $270 DualSense Edge is now available in Canada

PlayStation’s DualSense Edge controller is now available in Canada.

Similar to Xbox’s Elite Controller, the high-end PS5 gamepad offers a fully customizable experience that includes a variety of swappable components and remappable buttons.

In Canada, it sports the rather steep price tag of $270. (By contrast, the standard DualSense costs $90.) Besides the controller itself, you’ll also get:

  • carrying case
  • connector housing
  • USB braided cable
  • two standard caps
  • two high dome caps
  • two low dome caps
  • two half-dome back buttons
  • two lever back buttons

Pre-orders went up in October, so availability may vary. That said, retailers that at least carry the controller include Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop Canada, The Source and Walmart. $25 replacement stick modules are also available.

Stay tuned to MobileSyrup for impressions of the controller.

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Mobile Syrup

Fresh round of savings from Anker on portable chargers, cables and plugs

The deals keep coming from Anker this week. Following its already reduced prices on accessories, the company has cut the cost of portable chargers, plugs and various cables.

Check them all out here:

MobileSyrup utilizes affiliate partnerships. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content, though we may earn a commission on purchases made via these links that helps fund the journalism provided free on our website.

Source: Amazon Canada

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Mobile Syrup

Hogwarts Legacy has more than 100 sidequests

Hogwarts Legacy comes out on February 10th (on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S), but before the launch, information about the title has been released online. And what’s incredibly fascinating is that the game will have more than 100 side quests that can affect how the main campaign turns out.

Speaking to GamesRadar+, Moira Squier, narrative director and advanced game writer, said, “The main storyline is complicated and engaging and involves a variety of different characters and viewpoints. But by giving the player choice moments throughout the game, we allow them to tell their own version of that epic story.”

She went on to say that what you do outside of classes can change the main campaign, and talking with someone in a sidequest can impact how they interact with you in the main storyline. There isn’t a linearity of how to play these missions, either.

“The order in which the player chooses to complete these quests will impact their story and game. Everything is interconnected,” confirmed Squier to GamesRadar+. “So, while it was challenging, it was a lot of fun to do, and it’s rewarding to see how well it turned out.”

Hogwarts Legacy is coming out pretty soon, so it’ll be interesting to see how everyone’s experience changes while playing the game. It should be noted that the PS4 and Xbox One versions will launch on April 4th, while the Switch version comes on July 25th.

Source: GamesRadar+

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Mobile Syrup

Microsoft working on File Explorer improvements: report

Microsoft is reportedly working on modernizing the File Explorer in Windows 11, specifically with a focus on updating core areas of the app and building deeper integrations with company services like OneDrive and Microsoft 365.

As detailed by Windows Central, which obtained internal mockups of the work on the revamped File Explorer, the app will feature several changes to modernize the interface. That includes a new header with a modern file directory box, search box, and a new ‘home’ button. Existing header buttons, like the ‘new,’ ‘copy,’ and ‘paste’ options, will move to the top of the file/folder view below the header bar.

Alongside changes to the apps, Microsoft is working on revamping the home page of the File Explorer, which is where people will start seeing some of the deeper OneDrive integration. The top of the home page includes a carousel of recommended files featuring large thumbnails with a preview of the file. What’s shown in the mockup looks very similar to what you’d find in Google Drive.

Other changes are less exciting but still present nonetheless. Changes include modernizing the design of the left-side navigation panel (rounded buttons, modern code, etc.), updates to the details pane, including integrations with Microsoft 365, such as surfacing related email conversations for a given file.

Windows Central also reported on a new ‘Gallery’ area that will improve the experience of viewing photos in File Explorer. That includes the ability to view a larger preview of images by mousing over them. Moreover, Microsoft is reportedly looking at bringing a ‘tagging’ system to File Explorer, which would allow people to categorize their files using keywords and colours — something long available on Apple’s macOS.

Microsoft reportedly aims to roll out the refreshed File Explorer by the end of the year, likely in the company’s 23H2 update expected in the fall.

The changes would mark some of the most significant improvements to File Explorer in years, but it seems like Microsoft is trying to keep File Explorer familiar to users while still adding improvements. More recently, Microsoft added tabs to File Explorer, which has been a huge boon to my workflow. I’m excited to see what comes with the next round of File Explorer updates — Windows Central‘s details look promising.

Source: Windows Central

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Mobile Syrup

MPs question how Rogers picked Vidéotron as fourth competitor

The Rogers-Shaw and Vidéotron-Freedom Mobile mergers are close to gaining full approval, but questions still exist.

Concerns were displayed at the House of Common’s industry and technology committee meetings today, with questions directed toward telecom officials. This is the second meeting on the matter. The first took place in March 2022 and was before Rogers and Shaw announced it would sell Freedom Mobile to Vidéotron.

The transaction laid the grounds for several MPs who questioned how and why Rogers was able to place Vidéotron in its coveted role. The Québecor subsidiary is paying $2.85 billion for the wireless spectrum, $1 billion less than Globalive’s $3.75 billion offer.

Tony Staffieri, Rogers’ president and CEO, told MPs they picked the best option that “met the criteria.”

Globalive’s chairman, Anthony Lacavera, was also present at the meeting. The company previously signed a conditional network and spectrum-sharing agreement with Telus that was contingent on Globalive acquiring Freedom.

Despite that not being the case, the telecom giant still appears to lend its support to Globalive. Lacvera recently announced Globalive’s plans to acquire Xplore Mobile in Manitoba and is looking to expand its agreement with Telus.

Lacavera has been a strong voice of opposition against the two mergers. When asked how the competition would differ if Globalive acquired Freedom, Lacavera said Telus wouldn’t be dictating the company’s actions.

“There’s no scenario where Globalive is in bed with Telus, working for Telus. That’s just not with our history,” Lacavera told the committee.

When it came time for Shaw president Paul McAleese to speak, he had some pointed words about Lacavera. Shaw acquired Wind in 2016 from Globalive and rebranded it to Freedom, and that process required Shaw to straighten out several problems.

“I operated what was Wind Mobile after Mr. Lacavera exited the building, and I have a deep understanding of the effort required to fix the many challenges we inherited,” McAleese said. One such problem was Apple “refusing to authorize iPhone on the sale of Wind’s network,” which Freedom secured in 2017.

Some of the attendees asked Innovation Minister Francois Philippe-Champagne not to approve Shaw’s spectrum license transfer to Vidéotron. TekSavvy recently filed an application with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to examine the matter.

When asked if Minister Champagne will wait for the CRTC to make a decision on TekSavvy’s application, Éric Dagenais, a senior employee from Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada, said the Minister will make a decision in “due course.” Dagenais said he couldn’t provide any further details.

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Modder manages to fit Pixel 5a battery in Pixel 4a

The Pixel 4a was one of the better affordable devices released back in 2020. It featured a great design and solid battery life. Now, a Pixel 4a user has found a way to make their phone’s battery last even longer.

A Pixel 4a 5G owner has managed to mod their device to use the larger Pixel 5a’s battery. The Pixel 4a 5G was released with a 3,800mAh battery, while the Pixel 5a featured a bigger 4,680mAh battery.

The mod was shared by Reddit user fakesky-. According to the Redditor, they ordered the Pixel 5a battery online, believing that its dimensions match those of the Pixel 4a’s battery. According to them, “the 5a battery is only 4.5mm taller and 0.4mm fatter, but 1.4mm less wide” when compared to the Pixel 4a’s 3,800mAh cell.

Due to the slight difference in size, the modder had to move the Pixel 4a’s battery management system to the left side. “The ribbon cable’s connector is identical to the 4a 5G’s and the BMS spec is also similar, which means after connecting it to the phone and closing it up, the only evidence of it having a modified battery would be a very slight bulge in the back that is visually imperceptible if you’re not feeling for it and about a 17 percent increase in battery life, most likely more as you may be replacing an already degraded battery with a fresh one.”

Further, fakesky- notes that they had to get rid of the NFC sticker from the housing to make space for the battery, and even cautioned about the dangers of the battery exploding if not attached correctly. “I’ve many years in engineering and PCB design and repair, and from my assessment I’ve eliminated all points of potential failure in the event of expansion, namely the NFC sticker in the back which shaves off just under a millimeter and is a potential conductor, the left side of the battery where the BMS now sits has a comfortable amount of insulation and space for expansion as well,” they said.

Check out the Reddit thread here.

Image credit: u/fakesky-

Via: AndroidAuthority

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Mobile Syrup

Google’s Find My Device getting ‘Store recent location’ toggle

Over the last few years, rumours and leaks have pointed toward Google’s work on a possible competitor to Apple’s Find My network. Rumours have heated up recently, and now, a new change rolling out to Google’s existing Find My Device service appears to be part of the foundation for a larger finding service.

As spotted by Android Police, the Find My Device app is getting a toggle to ‘Store recent location.’ Enabling the feature will let Google encrypt and save the last known location of your smartphone and compatible accessories. Alternatively, the toggle would let users stop Google from storing that data as well.

Storing the recent location of a device is a big part of finding something that doesn’t have an internet connection, which would prevent users from tracking the device’s live location.

It’s not clear when the toggle will start showing up on devices — at the time of writing, my Pixel 7 didn’t have it. You can check by heading to Settings > Security > Find My Device.

Android Police notes that Samsung’s Find My Mobile feature for Galaxy devices features a similar ‘Send last location’ toggle that lets the device send its last location to Samsung servers when the battery level drops below a certain point.

Aside from this change, earlier this year, we learned that Google was working on expanding Find My Device to work with Fast Pair devices using ‘last known location’ reports. Currently, Find My Device works with Fast Pair accessories, but only while they are connected to your phone. Google also recently modernized the Find My Device app with a Material You redesign.

Meanwhile, a concept artist imagined what Google’s take on the AirTag tracker would look like and hilariously dubbed the concept tracker the ‘G Spot.’

Source: Android Police

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Mobile Syrup

Twitter will soon remember which feed you like to browse on

Twitter has been adamant about pushing its algorithmic Home Feed since Elon Musk took over the company. The ‘For You’ timeline, which shows your feed as an algorithmic timeline of accounts you follow with other accounts mixed in, rolled out to Anroid last week, while it has been available on iOS and Twitter web for the most part of January.

However, Twitter users have been pushing back, and the company has been forced to make changes to its platform.

Currently, all devices Twitter runs on feature two tabs on the homepage —  ‘For you’ and ‘Following.’ The ‘Following’ Tab shows your feed in chronological order from the accounts that you follow. Upon rolling out the new feed, Twitter also removed the ‘Sparkle’ icon that let you switch between your default feeds, which means all users were stuck on the ‘For You’ feed as their default feed, no matter which feed they browsed on the last time they used Twitter.

Users were undoubtedly unhappy about the change, and Musk took notice. In a Twitter post, he announced that Twitter’s next update will add a feature that will remember whether you were on ‘For You’ or ‘Following’ before closing the app. The next time you open the app/webpage, the default feed will be the one you last used. As of January 25th, 12:40 am ET, this feature is already live on Twitter Web.

The feature will makes its way to iOS and Android in the coming days.

Which tab are you primarily browsing Twitter on? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: @elonmusk

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Mobile Syrup

What’s new on Xbox Game Pass on console, PC and mobile in late January, early February

Every month, Xbox brings new titles to its Xbox Game Pass subscription service.

Normally, these come in two waves spanning the first and second halves of the month, but this time, the list begins at the end of January and spills over into early February. It seems like Xbox held the list for the special January 25th announcements that the GoldenEye remaster is coming this week and The Evil Within developer Tango Gameworks’ new game, Hi-Fi Rush, is actually launching on the 25th.

Read on for the full list. Note: ‘Cloud’ refers to a game that can be streamed via Xbox Cloud Gaming to a variety of devices, including Android and iOS.

  • Hi-Fi Rush (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X/S) — January 25th
  • GoldenEye 007 (Console) — January 27th
  • Roboquest (Game Preview) (Console) — January 30th
  • Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition (Cloud and Console) — January 31st
  • Inkulinati (Game Preview) (Cloud, Console, and PC) — January 31st
  • JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle R (Cloud, Console, and PC) — January 31st
  • Darkest Dungeon (Cloud, Console, and PC) — February 2nd
  • Grid Legends (Cloud) [EA Play] — February 2nd
  • Hot Wheels Unleashed – Game of the Year Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC) — February 7th

Meanwhile, here’s what’s leaving the Xbox Game Pass catalogue:

  • Donut County (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • Taiko no Tatsujin: The Drum Master (Console and PC)
  • Telling Lies (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • Worms WMD (Cloud, Console, and PC)

As always, Game Pass subscribers can take advantage of an exclusive 20 percent discount to purchase any game on the service and keep playing even after it leaves the catalogue.

An Xbox Game Pass subscription costs $11.99 CAD/month for either Console or PC, while a $16.99/month Game Pass Ultimate membership includes Game Pass for both Console and PC, Xbox Live Gold, EA Play and Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Find out what came to Game Pass earlier this month here.

Image credit: Xbox

Source: Xbox

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Mobile Syrup

Here’s what you missed from the Xbox & Bethesda Developer_Direct stream

Xbox and Bethesda had a ‘Developer_Direct’ stream, showing more details and gameplay for five upcoming titles. The games are Minecraft Legends, Forza Motorsport, The Elder Scrolls Online, Redfall and Hi-Fi Rush. We’ve linked the trailers for each of the games below.

Minecraft Legends (coming April 18th)

Forza Motorsport (coming 2023)

Hi-Fi Rush (available today)

Redfall (coming May 2nd)

Elder Scrolls Online (coming June 5th on PC, June 20th on Xbox)

Xbox says Starfield will get its own standalone show later this year.

In related news, check out our interview with Mojang and Vancouver’s Blackbird Interactive on Minecraft Legends.

Image credit: Bethesda