Unsuccessful in its initial bid, the bureau will present its case to the Federal Court of Appeal on January 24th. It was the Competition Bureau’s efforts to block the merger that revealed Rogers’ plans to rent its broadband network to Vidéotron at “preferential rates,” TekSavvy says.
“With competitors leaving the market, the federal government’s own data confirms Canadian internet prices are skyrocketing during an unprecedented cost of living crisis.”
The Minister previously stated he’ll wait to see how the legal proceedings go before making any decisions.
Bell’s Gigabit Fibe 3.0 service is now available to residents in Fredericton and Moncton, New Brunswick.
Offering symmetrical speeds of 3Gbps, Bell says the download speed is twice as fast as cable technology, and the upload speed is 60 times faster.
Bell has also expanded 5G+ services across Atlantic Canada. Residents in Moncton and Riverview, New Brunswick, St John’s, Mount Pearl, Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s and Paradise in Newfoundland and Labrador and Halifax, Nova Scotia will benefit.
5G+ uses the 3500MHz wireless spectrum. Bell released the service in the summer of 2022, initially only making it available to some Ontario residents.
Rogers and Telus also simultaneously released 5G+ services.
It looks like the Big Three carriers are winding down their Boxing Week promotions. Telus has already removed its Boxing Week offers, while Rogers has labelled several of its plans as expiring on January 10th. So far, Bell’s website simply says, “Boxing Week offers extended,” and doesn’t indicate when any of the promotions will end.
Telus now offers the following plans (along with comparisons to the Boxing Week offers):
$85/mo 25GB (up to 250Mbps) | previously $85/mo 50GB (up to 250Mbps)
$95/mo 50GB (up to 1Gbps) | previously $90/mo 100GB (up to 1Gbps)
$105/mo 60GB (up to 1Gbps) + Unlimited Canada-U.S. calling, texting, and data | previously $95/mo 100GB (up to 1Gbps) + Unlimited Canada-U.S. calling, texting, and data
$125/mo 100GB (up to 1Gbps) + Unlimited Canada-U.S. calling, texting, and data | not part of Boxing Week offers
Telus plans as of January 10th, 2023.
It’s worth noting that Telus’ plans offer unlimited data, which means once you’ve used all the data included on the plan, you can keep using data at a slower speed of up to 512Kbps. Moreover, the new Telus plans match up with the carrier’s pre-Boxing Week plans, which MobileSyrup documented in mid-December. You can check out the Telus plans here.
Rogers plans as of January 10th, 2023.
Rogers, on the other hand, still has its Boxing Week promos available, including offers like $75/mo 50GB and $80/mo 100GB (both include the automatic payment discount). The website lists the plans as ending on January 10th, although Rogers’ $55/mo 25GB add-a-line plan will end on the 11th instead. If you want to take advantage of some of Rogers’ Boxing Week offers, you may want to do so today.
Finally, as mentioned above, Bell still lists all its Boxing Week offers but with no end date. I would be surprised if Bell kept these deals going beyond January 10th, however, given that the carrier’s flanker brand, Virgin Plus, lists that date as the end of its Boxing Week offers.
DJI today announced the latest in its range of travel stabilizers for mirrorless camera owners.
The new stabilizer, called the DJI RS 3 Mini, is a direct lower-end successor to the June 2022-released DJI RS 3. It is a lightweight handheld travel stabilizer that sports a compact and portable all-in-one design that is roughly 50 percent lighter than the RS 3 Pro and 40 percent lighter than the RS 3, according to DJI.
Rs 3 Mini and The RS 3
Despite its lightweight design, the gimbal can support a weight of up to 2 kg (4.4 lbs) and features Bluetooth shutter control, a 3rd-gen stabilization algorithm, native horizontal and vertical switching, and a 1.4-inch coloured touchscreen.
“Since the introduction of DJI’s Ronin series for cinematography in professional environments, DJI has been working on bringing professional-grade technology to an increasing number of content creators,” said Paul Pan, senior product line manager at DJI. “The DJI RS 3 Mini is testament to DJI’s core value of bringing innovative stabilization technology to everyone with a love of capturing their moments in a photo or on video. Now, anyone with a mirrorless camera can experience the same industry-leading technology used on film sets and studios across the globe.”
The RS 3 Mini is compatible with a range of mainstream mirrorless camera and lens combinations, including the Sony A7S3 + 24-70mm F2.8 GM lens, Canon EOS R5 + RF24-70mm F2.8 STM lens, and the Fuji X-H2S + XF 18-55 mm F2.8-4 lens. Check out the full compatibility list here.
Further, since the DJI RS 3 Mini is designed with vertical video creation in mind, the stabilized features a dual-layered quick-release plate that allows for vertical shooting without the need for additional accessories, while not limiting the gimbal’s rotation angle, when compared to traditional vertical shooting.
“Lightweight and powerful, RS 3 Mini is a professional stabilizer that will bring an unprecedented, easy, and flexible landscape or street shooting experience to users of all levels, achieving portability and professionalism at the same time,” wrote DJI in its press release.
The 3rd generation stabilization algorithm found in the RS 3 Pro provides excellent performance for smooth camera movements, especially when shooting around human subjects. The gimbal also allows for dynamic 360-degree rotation for eye-catching shots. When shooting someone who’s running, the gimbal operator doesn’t need to pay too much attention as the RS 3 Mini can follow people “steadily,” and “switch between high and low angles for a more diverse range of shots.
The gimbal also features a wireless Bluetooth shutter feature that is compatible with most mainstream mirrorless cameras. And for or convenience of use, the RS 3 Mini features a 1.4-inch full-color touchscreen, an M-mode button for switching between custom modes, and a front dial for focusing all within easy one-handed reach.
Lastly, the RS 3 Mini sports an integrated battery handle that allows you to power your camera for up to 10 hours. Not only that, but you can also charge the handle while using the camera, and it can be fully charged in a quick 2.5 hour timeframe.
The DJI RS 3 Mini is available in the United States starting today at authorized retailers and the DJI website for $369 USD (roughly $493 CAD). MobileSyrup has reached out to DJI regarding the gimbal’s Canadian pricing and availability.
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.
For me, effectively getting the same story for the fourth time in 10 years (after the original 2013 release, it’s 2014 remaster and 2022 remake) didn’t really seem appealing. Marketing hued so closely to Naughty Dog’s games — often shot-for-shot, line-by-line — that I felt pretty apathetic towards it all.
But now, after having watched the first few episodes of the show, I’m pleased to say that my fears, so far, have been squashed.
That all starts with the casting. The leads of any show are important, but especially so for a title like this that focuses so much on two characters. For the uninitiated, The Last of Us was hugely successful for its unforgettable and moving story of a broken man named Joel finding love again with a surrogate daughter, Ellie, in a post-apocalyptic world. The powerful performances of Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson, coupled with co-director Neil Druckmann’s sharp writing, made you truly invest in this relationship. The central father-daughter dynamic has also helped Naughty Dog’s game stand out from the many other zombie stories out there, such as AMC’s The Walking Dead.
Thankfully, that’s all equally true for HBO’s The Last of Us. While the show features some direct crossover between the game in that Druckmann serves as co-creator, co-showrunner and co-writer (alongside Chernobyl’s Craig Mazin), it’s now Game of Thrones alums Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey who take on the lead roles. And boy, do they kill it. Pascal is perhaps known for his child-protecting starring role in The Mandalorian, in which he impressively has to lean on body language and voice while being mostly helmeted. But in The Last of Us, we really get see his full dramatic range, with the camera offering many lingering shots of this world-weary shell of a man, and Pascal conveying all of that pain masterfully through subtle glances and facial expressions.
Pedro Pascal shines as Joel.
Bella Ramsey is also a revelation. As is (sadly) often the case with online fandom, the casting of Ramsey (who uses they/them pronouns) has received pushback, particularly since they don’t quite resemble the game version of Ellie. But those who look past such superficial gripes will find an exceptional performance. It’s a role that requires finding a genuine youthful earnestness underneath an often prickly exterior, and Ramsey captures that beautifully, wide-eyed charm and all. The rest of the cast, including Gabriel Luna (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D) as Joel’s brother Tommy, Anna Torv (Fringe) as Joel’s friend Tess and Merle Dandridge as Firefly resistance leader Marlene (reprising her role from the game), is also solid. Seeing these familiar-yet-fresh interpretations of characters I’ve held dear for nearly 10 years feels quite special.
The faithfulness to the source material extends to the set design. The Last of Us‘ overgrown, pandemic-ravaged setting has always felt wonderfully distinct, and the series’ crew has done a wonderful job bringing that to life across various parts of Alberta. Through a Game of Thrones-esque budget that reportedly makes it Canada’s largest TV production to date, the Canadian province’s locales of Canmore, Lethbridge, Fort Macleod, Edmonton and more truly feel ripped right out The Last of Us. The quiet moments from the game, filled with utter beauty and returning composer Gustavo Santaolalla’s engrossing, understated music, also work really well with the stunning Alberta cinematography.
Adding to all of that is the fact that Druckmann and Mazin have made the smart decision to cut back on the action that punctuated the original PlayStation title. After all, you need that more in a 15-hour action-oriented game, but far less so in an HBO series. Instead, the human-zombie altercations come more sparingly, which makes them feel more impactful and tense, especially as the show slowly reveals new creature types over time. A particular highlight are the Clickers, of which gamers no doubt have terrifying memories for their gruesome look — a fungal outgrowth on a human’s body — and echolocation-like ticks. The crew should be commended for how skillfully they brought these monsters to life.
Nico Parker as Sarah.
If I have any gripes with The Last of Us so far, it’s that it’s a bit slow to get moving. In particular, two of the early episodes are nearly an hour-and-a-half long, which can drag at times. This felt most apparent in the pilot. On the one hand, spending a bit more time in the pre-pandemic period lets us see more of the “before times” of Joel’s life with his daughter Sarah (Dumbo‘s Nico Parker) and Tommy — a smart way to make the inevitable heartbreaking collapse of humanity feel more impactful. And some of this is compelling, like a sweet moment of Tommy and Sarah ragging on Joel on his birthday for being old. This banter is something that didn’t feature much into the original game’s rather breakneck opening, and it’s so welcome here. That said, it also feels like there’s some meandering as we watch Sarah sit through class or talk to a neighbour — time that perhaps could have been better served on more family scenes.
That said, the show makes more rewarding turns from the game as it goes on. Admittedly, the first two episodes are mostly beat-for-beat the original game, plus a few rather interesting new scenes exploring the broader scientific world coming to terms with the outbreak. But Episode 3 proves to be a marked deviation from the game that Druckmann himself admits will upset some fans: a prolonged section with the crafty survivalist Bill (Parks and Recreation‘s Nick Offerman).
Nick Offerman as Bill.
In the game, the cantankerous Bill is an engaging enough companion for Joel and Ellie, but on the whole, he’s mostly just a means to an end for them to get a working vehicle. His romantic relationship with Frank is also only briefly touched upon, so it’s not nearly as effective as it could have been. The TV series, however, dramatically expands upon all of this. Here, Bill roams around his trap-filled town, which we previously only viewed from the perspective of Joel, and actually shares scenes with Frank (The White Lotus’ Murray Bartlett). Through this relationship, we get to see more layers of Bill, a character I previously never thought much about, and it’s easily one the show’s biggest strengths so far. It remains to be seen how the series might handle other narrative departures, such as Kathleen, a brand-new character played by Yellowjackets‘ Melanie Lynskey, but it’s certainly the sort of thing that most drives my interest in the show.
Of course, four episodes of a nine-episode series aren’t enough to definitively come down on The Last of Us one way or the other. But I will say that the show has, at this point, overcome my initial wariness. On the surface, there are excellent performances and immaculate set design that anyone can appreciate. And while its adaptation of story beats from the game sometimes feel more intriguing than genuinely fresh and exciting, the overall solid execution and more meaningful later creative risks are enough to grab my attention for future episodes. Whether you’re a fan of the games or a newcomer entirely, The Last of Us is absolutely worth a watch.
The Last of Us premieres in Canada exclusively on Crave on January 15th.
For more on The Last of Us, check out our interview with several of the show’s key players, including Pascal, Ramsey, Druckmann and Mazin.
Last year, Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, launched his Donda 2 album as a Stem Player exclusive, before the album made its way to music streaming services globally.
The Stem Player was created by a company called Kano Computing, and it lets you remix songs in real time, with control over vocals, drums, bass and samples, and the ability to add effects, isolate parts and split songs.
Now, Kano Computing is back with a new Stem device, and it’s devoid of any affiliation with Ye. Not just that, the new device isn’t like the original Stem Player; rather, it’s a video projector called the Stem Projector, as reported by The Verge.
The new Stem Projector looks similar to the Stem Player, with a flying-saucer design, several lights on top and encompassed within a flesh-like material. The device features haptic touch-sensitive controls in a ring and six buttons for control.
It has a 256GB hard drive that can hold your personal content and a microSD card slot for expanding the storage capacity. It includes a mini-HDMI port that allows it to function as a projector for items such as game consoles, while also being able to connect to both Wi-Fi and cellular networks.
The projector has an onboard battery, which is roughly good for four to five hours at full brightness and continuous use. Further, in an interview with The Verge, Kano Computing CEO Alex Klein said that the projector will come with some pre-loaded content, though he didn’t say what. Klein did, however, mention that the company is working “with some of the best directors in the world, as well as some of the most interesting libraries” for the pre-loaded content.
The projector also supports Chromecast and AirPlay, which means you’ll be able to stream content on it directly from your phone. In a video interview with The Verge, Klein explained how the projector works:
When you boot up the projector, you just get a specific piece of content. A frame from it right in front of you. As you spin the ring, you go through other content that’s in there. Some of it has been added by us. Some of it is algorithmically added. Some of [the content is] live channels as well, so we’ve got James Terrell-style artworks, wall savers, so like screen savers for your wall. And then you press the middle button, the content starts to play. If you press it again, it pauses, and that frame becomes the preview of the film. So it’s a very exploratory [and] ambient way of enjoying video and movies where you’re getting immediately into it right away.
Further, using machine learning algorithms, the projector is supposed to learn the contents of your videos and tag objects within in. Klein refers to the feature as “Galaxy Mode,” and it allows you to view all content with an associated tag on your device. For example, if you’re in Galaxy Mode and you’re looking at a clip from a basketball court, the device will show you other basketball/sports related clips “create this ambient dream of different versions of the thing that you were looking at from different, incredible pieces of film or films that you’ve added yourself,” according to Klein.
The Stem Projector is available to pre-order now for $1,000 USD (roughly $1,338 CAD) and starts shipping in spring 2023.
Thanks to a range of Roku-powered TVs, streaming products and even a soundbar, Roku has become a household name globally.
The San Jose, California-based company announced that it ended 2022 with over 70 million active global accounts, with streaming hours clocked at 23.9 billion in Q4 and 87.4 billion for full year 2022. This marks a 19 percent increase year-over-year.
According to Roku, it remains the number one TV streaming platform in Canada, the United States and Mexico, based on the hours streamed.
“As consumers continue the shift to TV streaming, we’re excited that a growing number of people are taking the journey with Roku, and we’re proud to reach this meaningful milestone today,” said Roku founder and CEO Anthony Wood. “Roku is laser-focused on delivering affordable, easy-to-use products and an operating system that makes streaming accessible to all. We look forward to continuing to bring innovative and delightful experiences to more and more viewers this year.”
Further, Roku says 2022 was the first year when time spent streaming surpassed that of cable, and less than half of the U.S. households are expected to have legacy cable TV going forward.
In 2022, The Roku Channel released its first original film, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story starring Daniel Radcliffe, as well as several Roku Original TV series including The Great American Baking Show, Martha Gardens, and Emeril Cooks. The platform also partnered with Paramount+, Lionsgate, AMC Networks, and Discovery+ to provide additional catalog content.
The company aims to release new Roku Select and Plus Series TVs in the U.S. in spring 2023. The TVs will be available in 11 models, ranging from 24-inches to 75-inches. The TVs will include voice remotes, while Roku’s Plus Series models will come with the Roku Voice Remote Pro that features USB charging instead of being powered by two AAA batteries alongside a headphone jack.
It is currently unknown if and when these TVs will make their way to Canada.
You season 4 part 1 is hitting Netflix on February 9th. Netflix has also released a trailer showing off Joe’s new tricky situation.
Joe is back, but this time across the pond in London, and it looks like Joe might not be the only killer. Instead, the stalker/murderer might also play the role of detective, and he, of course, has found a new person to obsess over.
Check out the trailer below.
Netflix describes the video as “Starting anew in London, Joe vows to bury the past and be his best self. But on the rocky road to redemption, a new obsession starts to take hold.”
The second part of the season hits Netflix on March 9th, only a month later. Each part will have five episodes.
The season stars Penn Badgley, Tati Gabrielle, Charlotte Ritchie, Lukas Gage, and Ed Speleers.
Marking the awards show’s 80th anniversary, this year’s ceremony will take place on Tuesday, January 10th at 8pm ET/5pm PT. It will be hosted by Jerrod Carmichael (The Carmichael Show).
However, unlike in previous years, this Golden Globes show won’t be on Bell’s CTV networks. Instead, it will air on Rogers’ CityTV, which means that you can watch through CityTV on television or online through citytv.ca or the CityTV+ channel on Prime Video.
The Globes has faced controversy in recent years for a lack of Black members among its organizer, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). Following a major boycott of the show last year, the HFPA has committed to improving diversity.
For now, though, many celebrities are still expected to attend this year, including directors Steven Spielberg and Canada’s James Cameron (nominated for The Fabelmans and Avatar: The Way ofWater, respectively), Jamie Lee Curtis (nominated for Everything Everywhere All At Once), Daniel Craig (up for Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery) and RRR nominees S.S. Rajamouli (director) and N.T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan (co-leads).
Meanwhile, the movie with the most nominations (eight) is Martin McDonagh’s black comedy The Banshees of Inisherin, including Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy and nods for stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. The other Musical or Comedy nominees are Babylon, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and Triangle of Sadness.
Additionally, the five nominees for Best Motion Picture — Drama are Avatar: The Way of Water, Elvis, The Fabelmans, Tár
and Top Gun: Maverick. It’s also worth noting that Toronto’s Sarah Polley is up for Best Screenplay for Women Talking.
These series up for Best Drama, meanwhile, are Better Call Saul, The Crown, House of the Dragon, Ozark and Severance. On the other hand, Best Musical or Comedy series nominees are Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Hacks, Only Murders in the Building and Wednesday.
