Author: Mobile Syrup

According to a new report from reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone SE (4th-Gen) has been cancelled. Kuo says that Apple planned to introduce its rumoured in-house 5G chip in the 2024 iPhone SE to test the technology before bringing it to its flagship smartphones, but those plans have been scrapped.

Instead, Apple will continue to use Qualcomm’s 5G chip in 2024 and 2025 for the iPhone 15/iPhone 16.

This confirms an earlier report from Kuo that stated the 2024 iPhone SE refresh could be cancelled or delayed. The iPhone SE (2024) was released in March and was generally well-received by critics, including me. My key issue with the entry-level smartphone is its iPhone 8-era design that still features a Touch ID, and is really starting to show its age.

Previous rumours indicated that Apple’s iPhone SE (2024) would likely adopt an iPhone XR-like look and that it would ditch Touch ID for either Face ID or a fingerprint sensor on its power button.

Source: @mingchikuo Via: MacRumors

Tags apple, iPhone SE

Mobile Syrup

Google’s Android 13 to soon offer the ability to swap audio devices based on proximity

Post author By Mobile Syrup
Post date 6 January 2023

Google is envisioning an Apple AirPods-like future where transitioning between audio devices becomes seamless, and Android 13 may be the answer. Announced at CES 2023, Android 13 will notify users when a new audio device is nearby and ask if they want to swap over without interruption.

The feature works off the back of Google’s previously released cross-device software development kit (SDK). The software incorporates Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and ultra-wideband technology. It can detect which audio devices are in close proximity to the user and suggest them based on availability.

Theoretically, a user could be walking through their home and playing music on their Pixel device. Once close enough to their Bluetooth speaker in their kitchen, for instance, the user will receive a notification and can seamlessly swap to the other device. Additionally, this feature can identify which device a user may want to use based on activity. That same transition could happen from speaker to phone if the user is answering a call and doesn’t want background disruptions.

Google is currently working with both Spotify and YouTube Music to integrate the notification feature. Google’s SDK also incorporates Fast Pair, Nearby Share and Chromecast, streamlining the use of multiple devices.

In addition, Google is working with Spotify to bring its Spotify Connect support to Android 13’s media switcher. Ideally, Google wants to give more users the ability to quickly select which Bluetooth or Chromecast built-in devices they can play their content on. As of now, this feature is available with YouTube and YouTube Music.

How Google describes its transitional audio experience is largely similar to Apple’s automatic switching feature for AirPods. Across AirPods, Powerbeats, Powerbeats Pro, and Beats Solo Pro, users can swap between listening devices like an iPhone, laptop, etc.

As of the time of writing, Google has not outlined a timeframe for when either feature will be available. However, the company claims they expect them to release “this year.”

You can find all of our coverage from CES 2023 here.

Source: Google

Tags Android, Android 13, CES 2023, Google

Mobile Syrup

Apple’s VR headset is reportedly behind schedule, won’t release until Fall 2023

Post author By Mobile Syrup
Post date 6 January 2023

It looks like Apple’s AR/VR (augmented reality/virtual reality) headset has hit another bump in its development.

According to often reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the rumoured mixed reality headset is now expected to release this coming fall. Kuo says that problems with software development tools and issues related to drop tests have pushed the headset out of its initial spring/summer WWDC release window.

Kuo goes on to say that the rumoured January media event for the VR/AR headset also likely won’t happen.

(1/3)
Apple's AR/MR headset development is behind schedule due to issues with mechanical component drop testing and the availability of software development tools, meaning that mass shipment of this device may postpone from the original 2Q23 to the end of 2Q23 or 3Q23. https://t.co/YitWBWxbRI

— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) January 6, 2023

Earlier this week, The Information revealed an extensive report about Apple’s AR/VR headset, detailing its Digital Crown-like controls and the fact that it no longer features interchangeable headphones as initial rumours indicated.

Other rumoured features include a 120-degree field-of-view, dual 4K OLED displays, a 5nm CPU/GPU, and a dedicated image signal processor. The headset is rumoured to cost in the range of $3,000 USD (roughly $3,736 CAD) mixed reality headset.

Source: @mingchikuo Via: 9to5Mac

Tags apple, augmented reality, virtual reality

Mobile Syrup

New on Paramount+ Canada: January 2023

Post author By Mobile Syrup
Post date 6 January 2023

Kicking off the year, Paramount+ is set to debut a new slate of shows, movies and more throughout January. This month includes the addition of 1923, the Yellowstone spin-off, Devotion, and Chemistry of Death.

Additionally, a selection of Showtime series like Dexter, Ray Donovan, and Californication are also making their way to Paramount+.

Below is all of the content hitting the streaming service in January.

January 1st

Californication – All Seasons
Dexter – All Seasons
Ray Donovan – All Seasons
The Affair All Seasons

January 3rd

All My Friends Hate Me (Movie)
American Ultra (Movie)
Dances With Wolves (Movie)
Rain Man (Movie)
Sometimes When We Touch, Season 1 (Series)
The Really Loud House, New Episode Block (Series)
The Patrick Star Show, New Episode Block (Series)

January 5th

Anastasia (Documentary)
Angola Do You Hear Us? Voices From a Plantation Prison (Documentary)
Art & Krimes by Krimes (Documentary)
Last Flight Home (Documentary)

January 8th

1923 (Series) – New Episode
Devotion (Movie)

January 9th

Yo! MTV Maps, Season 1 (Series)

January 10th

Fargo (Movie)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (Movie)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (Movie)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (Movie)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Movie)
Legends of the Hidden Temple (Movie)
One Crazy Cruise (Movie)
You Cannot Kill David Arquette (Movie)

January 11th

The Challenge: Australia, Season 1 (Series)

January 14th

Spongebob Squarepants Presents The Tidal Zone (Special)

January 15th

Mayor of Kingstown (Series) – Season 2 Premiere

January 17th

As Far as They Can Run (Documentary)
Favourite Daughter (Documentary)
Moonstruck (Movie)
More Than I Want to Remember (Documentary)
Raging Bull (Movie)
The Game, Season 1 (Series)
V For Vengance (Movie)

January 18th

Are You The One? (Series) – Season 9 – Global Edition

January 19th

Chemistry of Death (Series) – New Series Premiere

January 23rd

The Elon Musk Show – New Series

January 24th

Halo: Nightfall (Movie)
Teen Wolf (1985) (Movie)
Teen Wolf II (1987) (Movie)
The Loud House, New Episode Block (Series)

January 26th

Wolf Pack – New Series Premiere
Teen Wolf: The Movie

January 31st

Escape From Mr. Limoncello’s Library (Movie)
I’m Charlie Walker (Movie)
One Man and His Shoes (Movie)
The Comedy Rule, Season 1 (Series)
Who is America, Season 1 (Series)

Image credit: Paramount

Tags Paramount, streaming

Mobile Syrup

Google continues pushing RCS at Apple with new Vegas billboard

Post author By Mobile Syrup
Post date 6 January 2023

We’re barely a week into 2023 and Google is already back to antagonizing Apple over the latter’s decision not to adopt the former’s RCS chat standard.

Google has been pushing a ‘#GetTheMessage‘ campaign against Apple for months urging people to use the hashtag to tell Apple to adopt RCS. Rich Communication Services is a communication protocol that aims to modernize texting by replacing the dated SMS and MMS standards. RCS includes several features that are common in other messaging platforms, such as high-resolution photo and video sharing, better group chat support, encryption, and more.

Google’s latest move is taking over a large video billboard at Harmon Corner in Las Vegas (where CES 2023 is currently going down) with a message for Apple:

“Hey Apple. It’s Android. The ball may have dropped on 2022, but you don’t have to drop the ball on fixing your pixelated photos and videos. Here’s some code to get the ball rolling…”

The billboard then scrolls through several lines of code before displaying “Help Apple #GetTheMessage” and showing the Android logo.

@uptin

First time I’ve even seen an ad for android and it’s going all out

♬ Funny Song – Cavendish Music

Despite the cheeky message, it’s unlikely this billboard will do much to sway Apple. The core issue is that Apple devices like the iPhone fall back to SMS and MMS when Apple’s iMessage chat platform isn’t available. Since iMessage isn’t available for Android (at least, not without hacky workarounds), messages between iPhones and Android devices happen over the older protocols. That means messaging is less secure and content sent via messages, like pictures, ends up looking blurry or pixelated.

Apple has avoided adopting RCS, however, since it would compete better with iMessage and reduce the feature’s lock-in. Back in 2021, emails revealed during the Epic Games v. Apple trial showed how Apple executives viewed iMessage as a tool to keep people on its platforms. And Apple still views iMessage this way, with CEO Tim Cook telling a journalist to buy an iPhone for his mom to fix messaging issues the journalist referenced in a question about RCS.

Beyond blurry photos, the iMessage system and iPhone’s blue and green text bubbles have contributed to a culture of exclusivity among kids with iPhones who avoid adding Android users to group chats.

The simple solution to all this is using third-party messaging apps like Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp, or others. Of course, it can be really difficult to get people to switch — most prefer to use the default messaging option (and I’m speaking from experience).

It’s worth noting this isn’t the first time Google and Apple have taken shots at each other using billboards in Vegas. Back in 2019, Apple advertised the privacy of iPhones on billboards during CES — similar billboards later emerged in Toronto.

You can find all of our coverage from CES 2023 here.

Source: @Uptin Via: MacRumors

Tags #GetTheMessage, apple, Billboard, CES 2023, Google, iMessage, RCS

Mobile Syrup

Canadian-made ‘Project Arrow’ EV debuts at CES 2023

Post author By Mobile Syrup
Post date 6 January 2023

The design of the first Canadian-made EV, ‘Project Arrow,’ debuted at CES 2023. Designed by Ottawa university students, the conceptual vehicle features Canadian-sourced components and technology.

Project Arrow was first announced by Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA) during CES 2020. The APMA then worked with Carleton University students, who won a Canada-wide competition that year. Together, Project Arrow’s design and specs were put together. Three years later, those efforts are being realized at CES 2023.

“Today at CES, we reveal Project Arrow to the world, with 25 new technologies,” says Flavio Volpe, president of the APMA, at the event. “The Prime Minister dared us to imagine Canada’s net zero mobility future and the Premier of Ontario challenged us to build it.”

The conceptual vehicle at CES, held in Las Vegas, is a working prototype of what Canada hopes can one day be a reality for the roads. This is the first leg on a long development path that’ll aim to see Project Arrow reach mass production. Reports estimate that the final vehicle will cost roughly $60,000. Project Arrow is also expected to have a production rate of 50,000 models per year. However, it doesn’t appear mass production will start until the 2025 model year.

The EV is built using components from over 50 Canadian companies. It’s said that the project is “the biggest industrial collaboration project in Canadian automotive history,” according to the company. Project Arrow’s partners include Leddartech, which is based in Quebec. Additionally, companies specializing in LiDAR technology are also throwing in their expertise.

Funding for Project Arrow stems from several Canadian government bodies with a sum of over $8 million. The Government of Canada alone has invested $3.9 million with the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario investing $5 million. This funding contributed to securing the support of 80 jobs and 40 suppliers.

You can find all of our coverage from CES 2023 here.

Image credit: APMA

Via: PCMag

Tags CES 2023, electric vehicles, EVS, Project Arrow

Mobile Syrup

Razer’s Leviathan V2 Pro tracks your head to deliver crisp audio

Post author By Mobile Syrup
Post date 6 January 2023

At CES 2023, Razer revealed several of its upcoming gaming gadgets, including a new generation of Razer Blade laptops, the Kiya Pro Ultra webcam, VR peripherals for the Meta Quest 2 and more.

However, the most innovative of the bunch was the company’s Leviathan V2 Pro soundbar, the world’s first beam-forming soundbar with head-tracking AI.

The soundbar was developed in partnership with THX and Audioscenic and is intended for desktop use. The result is a soundbar that delivers an immersive surround sound experience while ensuring that users are always in the optimal listening position.

What sets the Leviathan V2 Pro apart from other soundbars, and its predecessors, is its use of beamforming and head-tracking AI technology. It features a built-in infrared camera that detects the listener’s position in real-time and adjusts the audio beams accordingly, providing an immersive and true-to-life 3D audio experience.

While offering beam forming and head-tracking features, alongside 30 Razer Chroma RGB light zones, the Leviathan V2 Pro’s overall footprint is surprisingly small. The compact soundbar can connect to your devices via Bluetooth and USB for connection with a PC. It also features a 3.5 mm headset jack and USB audio input, and comes with a subwoofer for enhanced bass.

Learn more about the Leviathan V2 Pro here. It’s available to pre-order off of Razer’s website for $549.99. The Leviathan V2 Pro starts shipping on January 31st.

At CES 2023, Razer also revealed more details about its cloud-based Edge handheld. You can find all of our coverage from CES 2023 here.

Image credit: Razer

Source: Razer

Tags CES 2023, Razer Leviathan V2 Pro, Razer Leviathan V2 Pro head tracking soundbar

Mobile Syrup

Handheld cloud gaming space heats up with Razer’s new Edge handheld

Post author By Mobile Syrup
Post date 6 January 2023

The cloud-based handheld gaming device war is heating up.

First, there was Logitech’s G Cloud, and now, there’s Razer’s Edge cloud-based gaming handheld. At CES 2023, Razer confirmed the portable runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 platform, and that it will release on January 26th for $399.99 USD (roughly $537 CAD).

A 5G-compatible Verizon-exclusive version of the device will be available for $600 USD (about $806 CAD), but we likely won’t see it in Canada unless Razer forges a partnership with a carrier, alongside a ‘Founder’s Edition’ that costs $499 USD (approximately $672 CAD) that includes Razer’s Hammerhead wireless earbuds.

The gaming device itself looks a lot like a Razer Kishi V2 Pro controller with an Android 12-powered tablet attached to it (the tablet portion even detaches, just like if you were using the Kishi V2 Pro with a smartphone).

Other notable specs include a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate and a 2,400 x 1080 pixel resolution, 8GB of memory and 128GB of storage. The Edge also features a 5,000mAh battery, two mics and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2.

While the tablet streams games from the cloud via Xbox Cloud Gaming, Epic Games and Nvidia GeForce Now, it can also run Android games and apps locally because it’s Android 12-based.

The Razer Edge is available to pre-order now with a $5 USD (about $6.72 CAD) deposit.

At CES, Razer also revealed its Leviathan V2 Pro soundbar with head-tracking AI technology. You can find all of our coverage from CES 2023 here.

Tags CES 2023, gaming, Razer Edge, Razer Kishi V2 Pro, Video games