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Hard drives and storage devices are discounted at Best Buy right now

Best Buy Canada has several hard drives and storage devices from the likes of Kingston, Corsair, Samsung, SanDisk, WD, Seagate and more on sale right now.

Check out some of the hard drives and storage devices on sale below:

Samsung 870 EVO 1TB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (MZ-77E1T0B/AM): $114.99 (save $25)

Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB M.2 NVMe Internal Solid State Drive (MZ-V7S1T0B/AM): $99.99 (save $60)

Samsung 980 PRO 2TB M.2 NVMe PCIe Internal Solid State Drive (MZ-V8P2T0B/AM): $219.99 (save $110)

SanDisk Extreme 1TB External Solid State Drive (SDSSDE61-1T00-G25): $134.99 (save $5)

SanDisk Extreme 2TB External Solid State Drive (SDSSDE61-2T00-G25): $204.99 (save $25)

WD_BLACK SN850X 2TB NVMe PCI-e Internal Solid State Drive with Heat Sink (WDBB9H0020BNC-WRSN): $244.99 (save $235)

WD easystore 8TB USB 3.0 Desktop External Hard Drive (WDBAMA0080HBK-NESE) – Black: $199.99 (save $10)

WD_BLACK SN850 2TB NVMe PCI-e Internal Solid State Drive with Heatsink – Officially Licensed for PS5: $264.99 (save $75)

WD My Cloud EX2 Ultra Diskless Network Attached Storage (WDBVBZ0000NCH-NESN): $232.99 (save $42)

Seagate One Touch 4TB USB 3.0 Portable External Hard Drive (STKC4000404) – Grey: $119.99 (save $20)

Seagate IronWolf 8TB 3.5-inch 7200RPM SATA NAS Internal Hard Drive (ST8000VNA04): $179.99 (save $40)

Kingston NV2 1TB NVMe PCI-e Internal Solid State Drive (SNV2S/1000G): $64.99 (save $13)

Kingston DataTraveler Exodia 32GB USB 3.2 Flash Drive – 2 Pack: $9.99 (save $15)

Corsair MP600 Pro LPX 2TB M.2 NVMe PCI-e (Gen 4) Internal Solid State Drive with Heatsink – Optimized for PS5: $219.99 (save $50)

Find all the hard drives and storage devices on sale here. It’s worth noting that the products mentioned above have varying ‘sale end’ dates. If you’re going to sit on the idea of making a purchase, make sure to check when the sale ends.

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.

Image credit: Best Buy

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Upcoming Pixel Tablet shown off at Milan Design Week 2023

Google Design is taking part in Milan Design Week this year with its own exhibit, “Shaped by Water,” and included on display is the company’s upcoming Pixel Tablet.

The highly anticipated tablet was shown off in three distinct colour variants: pale green, pale white, and pale pink. Official naming for each colour option has yet to be revealed.

This is our first real look at the new pink version, and it seems to match the other options with its muted colour palette. A fourth colour variant is also expected to be revealed.

Interestingly, the rumoured privacy switch is nowhere to be seen on the body of the tablets. It’s possible Google is waiting for the official launch of the product to showcase the unique hardware addition.

The Pixel Tablet is flanked by various other Pixel products and accessories on the display table. Together, they make up a portion of Google Design’s overall exhibit at the event.

The Pixel Tablet is rumoured to launch around the time of Google I/O in May.

Via: 9to5Google

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Mobile Syrup

Major updates to Wallet and Find My apps expected with iOS 17

Apple’s upcoming iOS 17 release has been a hot topic for months, with many rumours suggesting it will be a minor update. However, new reports have emerged recently, indicating that Apple is planning significant changes to the Wallet and Find My apps, as shared by MacRumors.

According to reliable Apple analyst Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, the Apple Wallet app could receive updates to its user interface. Gurman even compared iOS 17 to iOS 15, as it will focus on updates to core system apps, instead of introducing revolutionary new changes or features.

In addition to Wallet, Apple might also be looking to improve ‘Find My’ as part of a broader push for location-related features. Further, while Apple is reportedly working on introducing sideloading to iOS 17, which would allow users to install apps outside of the App Store, as part of the Digital Markets Act.

Moving on to wearables, Gurman said that “watchOS 10 will be the most significant update to watchOS since its introduction.” Gurman does not expect the core WatchOS design to change, but Apple might introduce new ways to use and interact with the system.

Another rumour making the rounds since October suggests that Apple is working on a new version of Messages. According to the report, the app might receive a new “home area” along with chat rooms, video clips, and AR chat features. While the rumour is somewhat sketchy, it’s worth keeping an eye on as we learn more about iOS 17 in the coming months.

Overall, it seems that iOS 17 will bring some significant changes to the Wallet and Find My apps, along with potential updates to the Messages and updates to WatchOS 10. While we’ll have to wait for more information to be sure, it’s clear that Apple is working hard to make its mobile operating system even better for users.

Source: MacRumours

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Mobile Syrup

Xbox no longer allowing game clips to be shared directly to Twitter

Xbox users will no longer be able to share their game clips or screenshots directly to Twitter through the console or the game bar on Windows after the company announced that it had removed the feature.

There are still options to share game clips to the site, albeit more inconvenient. Clips can be downloaded through the Xbox mobile app and uploaded from there. Users can also copy their Xbox captures onto a USB drive and access them from their computer for those gaming victories that must be shared with everyone.

The change seems slightly out of left field from the company but might have something to do with Twitter’s recent actions, including the site’s decision to start charging for API access.

Twitter recently landed in hot water by beginning to remove all legacy verified checkmarks from accounts.

Microsoft also recently said it would soon remove Twitter integration from its social media management tool for advertisers, refusing to pay the site’s high API fees.

Upon hearing this, Twitter CEO Elon Musk claimed that Microsoft had illegally used his company’s data, and that a lawsuit was in order.

Whether or not this is true, or if Musk follows through with a lawsuit, the reason gamers won’t be able to share their clips to Twitter easily looks to stem from the recent tension between the two companies.

Source: @Xbox Via: Engadget

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Mobile Syrup

Report indicates Google will soon offer new AI tools in its ad program

Kitchener, Ontario, Canada – September 30, 2019: Google sign in the Google Canada Kitchener-Waterloo office.

The latest Google service to get the AI treatment, according to a report from The Financial Times, is its mammoth-sized advertisement business.

Allegedly, Google’s AI will soon be able to “remix” customer images, video, and text that it is given to work with. The Financial Times says the AI will then generate ads based on specified goals such as target audience.

The new toolset is expected to be rolled into Google’s existing Performance Max program, adding an element of artificial creativity to the campaign service.

The news comes amid a growing AI arms race between major tech companies. Google has been scrambling to modernize its search engine in the wake of a revitalized Bing, powered by ChatGPT.

With the pressure on, some are sounding the alarm on the speed of developments on the AI front, including Elon Musk.

Google’s new AI tools will reportedly be making their way to the public later this year.

Source: The Verge Via: The Financial Times

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Mobile Syrup

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6 might arrive with an all-new processor

Samsung’s next-generation Galaxy Watch could hit the market with a brand new smartwatch chip, according to SamMobile. The new system-on-chip (SoC) is reportedly known as the Samsung Exynos W980.

Other details about the new chip include a 5nm fabrication process, and over 10 percent faster speeds than the previous generation.

The chip would serve as the successor to the Galaxy Watch 4‘s Exynos W920 from 2021. Last year, the Galaxy Watch 5 launched without a processor upgrade.

If this report proves true, it will be good news for Google’s Wear OS ecosystem. Android smartwatches are notorious for their less-than-speedy silicon, especially when compared to the Apple Watch.

The Galaxy Watch 6 is rumoured to launch this summer alongside the latest foldable smartphones offerings from the South Korean company.

Source: SamMobile Via: Android Authority

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Mobile Syrup

Apple might be working on a journal app for the iPhone

Apple is hard at work building a native journaling app for the iPhone, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal. Codenamed “Jurassic” internally, the new software will supposedly use on-device user data to make logging suggestions.

Journaling suggestions might include prompts like logging a completed workout or writing about a sudden change in daily physical activity. The data and processing will take place locally, with suggestions deleted after one month, according to The Wall Street Journal report.

Apple introducing new apps into its iPhone software is nothing new — the company has previously created its own version of other popular third-party apps and services. Unlike third parties, Apple preinstalls its new apps directly onto iPhones. This gives the app a massive boost in both scope and reach.

With Apple leveraging its user data to make logging suggestions, other iPhone journal apps might have stiff competition in the not-so-distant future.

If a journal app does launch, it will likely be unveiled alongside iOS 17 and will release in the fall.

Source: The Wall Street Journal Via: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

Google’s Bard AI exposed as a “pathological liar” by the company’s own employees

Google employees recently fired shots at the company’s AI chatbot through internal messages, calling Bard “a pathological liar” and pleading with the company not to launch it.

A report from Bloomberg has uncovered discussions from 18 current and former Google workers as well as screenshots from internal messages. Among them include an employee stating that Bard would regularly give users dangerous advice. Another worker said Bard is “worse than useless: please do not launch.”

If employee complaints weren’t enough to warrant genuine concern, an internal safety team submitted a risk evaluation for the project, stating that the system was not ready for general use.

Google overruled the request for a risk evaluation, opening up early access to the experimental chatbot in March instead.

The report from Bloomberg sheds light on the company’s decision to override moral sense in favour of competing with rival AI projects such as OpenAI. 

The decision looks especially bad for Google if you go back to early 2021, when the company fired two researchers after they authored a research paper that showed flaws in the same AI language systems that support chatbots like Bard.

Although some would argue that public testing is necessary for projects of this nature, there’s no denying that with multiple cases of the tech giant cutting corners on its AI chatbox, a public launch was a risky choice.

Brian Gabriel, a spokesperson for Google, told Bloomberg that AI ethics are still a top priority for the company. Google Bard received received an update page that details new changes and additions to the chat service.

Source: Bloomberg Via: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

Shigeru Miyamoto interested in pursuing more Nintendo films

One of the most recognizable faces at Nintendo, Shigeru Miyamoto, says he’s interested in keeping the company in the movie-making business.

The news follows Nintendo’s massive success with The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which raked in a staggering $377 million ($510 million CAD) globally during its opening weekend.

According to Japanese outlet Nikkei, Miyamoto referred to Nintendo as a talent agency with plenty of different entertainers. Without getting into specifics, he stated, “There are many possible ways we could go, such as using characters that would be fit for movies or very well-known characters.”

When one of your films becomes a contender for the highest-grossing film of 2023, why wouldn’t you want to pursue more movies in the future?

The question then becomes, what Nintendo franchise would best suit a role on the big screen? The possibilities are endless, with the company behind many of the most beloved video game sagas ever.

Naturally, Nintendo may look to follow up with a sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie, as it knows they have the audience and demand for it.

Miyamoto’s enthusiasm is shared by Illumination’s Chris Meladandri, who showed support for continuing their relationship down the line, with the former Nintendo GM stating that he’s “sure we will continue working on this partnership.”

For more news about Miyamoto, check out when he recently showed his distrust for Dr. Mario’s medical practices here.

Image credit: Nintendo

Source: Nikkei Via: Nintendo Everything

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Mobile Syrup

Microsoft’s DirectStorage SDK update boosts gaming performance for old HDDs

Microsoft unveiled the latest ‘version 1.2‘ of its DirectStorage SDK on Tuesday, April 18th, which could aid in speeding up older hard drives.

DirectStorage was initially developed to allow gamers to stream data from the latest solid-state drives (SSDs) to their graphics processing units (GPUs) without the need for the CPU to slow down the process. However, Microsoft has now learned from developers that improved support for legacy hard drives would also benefit games.

While DirectStorage has always worked with hard drives, developers have had to use separate methods for NVMe devices and HDDs. This complicates the process of supporting an API designed for high-speed SSDs, which are not always used by PC gamers to store and play games. With DirectStorage 1.2, however, developers can now use the same code on SSDs and HDDs.

“The legacy hard drives require buffered IO in order to mask the long seek times. For this reason, we added the ability to configure DirectStorage to open files in buffered mode,” wrote the DirectX team. As a result, developers will now be able to enable this mode for games installed exclusively on slower HDDs, so they can benefit from OS file buffering features and speed increases.

Despite these changes to DirectStorage, we are still waiting for games to adopt them. So far, only Forspoken has added DirectStorage support. Microsoft’s technology has improved load times by around 30 percent or more. Nvidia, AMD, and Intel are all prepared to support the latest GPU decompression techniques of DirectStorage, so we hope to see more game developers adopting the technology now that it benefits older hard drives.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Source: Microsoft Via: The Verge