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Mobile Syrup

Amazon discounts Fire TV Sticks and Echo Show by up to 45 percent off

There are still plenty of deals to be had that can be delivered before December 25th. Case in point the Amazon Fire TV Sticks and Echo Show 5 and Echo Show 8. These both are discounted to the tune of 45 percent off.

Check out the deals below:

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Source: Amazon Canada

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Mobile Syrup

Twitter is rolling out a view count for standard Tweets

Videos on Twitter have a view counter that lets everyone see how many times a video has been viewed. Now, it is being reported that standard Tweets would soon display that piece of information as well, as shared by The Verge.

Some users are already reporting seeing view counts for their own tweets, although the feature hasn’t widely rolled out yet. It’s worth noting that the feature itself isn’t coming out of the blue. Musk had already announced the feature in early December, and earlier today, he officially announced the feature as rolling out.

“Twitter is rolling out View Count, so you can see how many times a tweet has been seen! This is normal for video,” wrote Musk. “Shows how much more alive Twitter is than it may seem, as over 90% of Twitter users read, but don’t tweet, reply or like, as those are public actions.”

It’s worth noting that users have long been able to view the ‘impressions’ on their Tweets via the analytics tab, though the new feature puts the view count front and centre.

It is currently unclear whether the feature would be available for all users, or limited to Twitter Blue subscribers. It is likely that the view count will be visible to all users, considering that Musk didn’t advertise and pitch user to subscribe to Twitter Blue when tweeting about the feature.

In other Twitter-related news, recent reports suggest that Musk had started the hunt for a new Twitter CEO, and that he plans to step down once he finds someone ‘foolish enough’ to be the new CEO. Read more about it here.

Via: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

Ransomware attack at SickKids impacting patient wait times

A ransomware attack at the Hospital for Sick Children is leading to longer patient wait times.

Teams are facing delays in accessing lab and imaging results, and it could be weeks before systems are back to functioning at a normal pace.

“Clinical and operational teams are implementing backup procedures for systems that are not yet accessible,” the hospital says in a December 22nd statement.

The Toronto hospital says it became aware of the attack on December 18th and was prepared to quickly handle the evolving situation.

“SickKids has been preparing for attacks of this nature and mobilized quickly to mitigate potential impacts to the continuity of care. We have rapidly engaged with third-party expert organizations and law enforcement to bring a resolution to the situation as quickly as possible.”

There’s no evidence the breach impacted personal information.

Image credit: Shutterstock 

Source: SickKids

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Samuel L. Jackson celebrates birthday in horny jail after liking porn on Twitter

Samuel L. Jackson is one of the biggest movie stars on the planet… From Star Wars and Marvel to Jurassic Park and Pulp Fiction, the man is something of a living legend.

But the internet was reminded this week that at the end of the day, Jackson is still only human.

On Wednesday, December 21st, the third highest-grossing actor of all time was celebrating his 74th birthday as one normally would — by watching porn on Twitter. How do we know? Because screenshots and videos captured Jackson’s public, verified account liking explicit, NSFW videos.

While Jackson has since unliked these posts, people have nonetheless still had some amusing responses:

Some even pointed out that Jackson once admitted to liking anime and manga porn, better known as hentai.

Jackson hasn’t addressed these events on social media, but regardless, it’s quite the funny situation. While it’s possible that someone else running Jackson’s account got a little carried away, it’s undoubtedly more entertaining to imagine him sneaking away from some baller Beverly Hills birthday party look at Twitter porn.

Stars — they’re just like us!

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

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Mobile Syrup

Apple Watch Ultra, Series 8 and SE (2022) can use built-in GPS independently

Apple has confirmed the Apple Watch Ultra, Series 8, and SE (2022) can now rely solely on their built-in GPS sensor and no longer need to utilize the GPS signal of the iPhone it’s connected to. Older Apple Watch models will still utilize the iPhone’s GPS whenever possible.

While this change isn’t recent, it’s gone under the radar for the past few weeks. It was uncovered by DC Rainmaker, a reputable sports tech reviewer (via The Verge), in a recent Apple support document update.

Although this doesn’t change a lot regarding the everyday use of the Apple Watch for most owners, there are a few things worth noting. First off, this should result in the Ultra, Series 8 and SE (2022)’s GPS being more accurate in some situations since the wearable is strapped directly to the user’s body and not in a pocket, bag or backpack like the iPhone typically would be.

It also negates the weird GPS handshake issues with the iPhone that were common in the early days of the Apple Watch and that I still encounter occasionally with older versions of the wearable. On the other hand, this shift could also result in slightly worse Apple Watch battery life, given the smartwatch is no longer piggybacking off of the iPhone’s GPS chip and is utilizing its built-in hardware.

In a way, this makes sense, given you likely have your iPhone with you when you’re wearing your Apple Watch anyways. It’s unclear how negatively this change affects the Apple Watch Ultra, Series 8 and SE (2022)’s battery life, but considering how much Apple has boasted about the wearables’ battery life, the impact is likely minimal.

It would have been great if Apple offered Apple Watch users the option to turn independent GPS on/off since both methods of connectivity have advantages and disadvantages, but Apple isn’t exactly known for offering consumers a lot of options when it comes to features like this.

Source: DC Rainmaker, Apple Via: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

Netflix’s new That ’90s Show trailer shows first look at old ’70s Show gang

Netflix has released a new trailer for That ’90s Show that offers the long-awaited first look at several of the original key cast members from That ’70s Show.

Yes, Topher Grace (Eric), Laura Prepon (Donna), Ashton Kutcher (Kelso), Mila Kunis (Jackie) and Wilmer Valderrama (Fez) are all back for the spin-off series. Tommy Chong also reprises his recurring role of Leo the hippie. (Danny Masterson, who played Hyde on That ’70s Show, has not returned, as he’s currently standing trial on rape charges.)

That ’90s Show follows Red and Kitty Forman (returning stars Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp, respectively) as they look after their granddaughter Leia (Callie Haverda) — Eric and Donna’s daughter — during the summer. The series hails from That ’70s Show creators Bonnie and Terry Turner and their daughter Lindsey, as well as That ’70s Show alum Greg Mettler.

That ’90s Show will begin streaming exclusively on Netflix on January 19th, 2023.

Image credit: Netflix

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Mobile Syrup

Google is ‘all hands on deck’ to develop AI products to take on ChatGPT

OpenAI’s ChatGPT is a machine-learning dependent AI chat bot that generates human-like responses based on the input it receives. The chatbot has taken the world by storm, having crossed one million users earlier this month.

The ChatGPT storm has been noticed by Google, and it is reportedly taking an ‘all hand on deck’ approach to respond.

As reported by The New York Times, Google has declared a “code red,” and has tasked several departments to “respond to the threat that ChatGPT poses.”

“From now until a major conference expected to be hosted by Google in May, teams within Google’s research, Trust and Safety, and other departments have been reassigned to help develop and release new A.I. prototypes and products.”

The likely point in future where Google describes its advancement in AI would be at its annual I/O where it shows off progress made on LaMDA, Google’s own AI chat bot.

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai hinted the company has “a lot” planned in the space in 2023 but added that “This is an area where we need to be bold and responsible, so we have to balance that,” according to a recent CNBC report.

Earlier this year, Google suspended one of its engineers, Blake Lemoine, after he claimed the company’s ‘LaMDA’ chatbot system had achieved sentience. Read more about it here.

Image credit: Google

Source: The New York Times

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Here’s what’s coming to Apple TV+ in January and February

Apple TV+ is giving us a taste of what to expect in the next couple of months.

Below is a list of content coming to the Apple TV+ streaming service in Canada in January and February 2023:

January 13th

  • Servant: season 4
  • Super League: The War For Football

January 20th

  • Truth Be Told: season 3

January 27th

  • Shrinking

February 3rd

  • Dear Edward

February 17th

  • Hello Tomorrow!
  • Sharper

February 24th

  • Liaison
  • The Reluctant Traveler

Here are some previously announced titles coming to Apple TV+

  • Argylle (new original film)
  • Ghosted (new original film)
  • Killers of the Flower Moon (new original film)
  • Lessons in Chemistry (new series)
  • Loot: Season 2
  • Masters of the Air (new series)
  • Napoleon (new original film)
  • Physical: Season 3
  • Schimigadoon: season 2
  • Severance: season 2
  • Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (new original documentary)
  • Ted Lasso: Season 3
  • Tetris (new original film)
  • The Afterparty: season 2
  • The Last Thing He Told Me (new limited series)
  • The Morning Show: season 3

An Apple TV+ subscription costs $5.99 CAD/month and is also included in Apple One bundles.

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Mobile Syrup

Google’s Pixel 2023-2025 roadmap surfaces online

Google’s smartphone roadmap for the next couple of years has leaked.

This tidal wave of information comes from a “trusted” source that spoke to Android Authority detailing upcoming devices Google plans to release in the coming years.

The leak takes us through Google’s plans from 2023-2025 and is surprisingly comprehensive. Below is a quick recap of all the key information.

2023

  • Two Pixel phones will launch around April or May. One, codenamed ‘Lynx’, is the Pixel 7a, and the other, codenamed ‘Felix,’ will be the Pixel Fold (likely Google’s name for the foldable).
  • The Pixel 7a has the same U.S. price of $449 to match the Pixel 6a. The Pixel 6a costs $599 in Canada, so it will likely be the same price.
  • The Pixel Fold will cost roughly $1,799 USD (about $2,459 CAD), matching the U.S. cost for Samsung’s foldables. It will likely be cheaper than the South Korean tech giant’s foldables in Canada since Samsung tends to upcharge in Canada.
  • The Pixel 8 (codenamed ‘Shiba’) and Pixel 8 Pro (codenamed ‘Husky’) will come later in 2023 and won’t be too different from the Pixel 7 series, except the Pixel 8 will be even smaller in 2023.
  • The Tensor G3 that will debut in the Pixel 8 is codenamed ‘Zuma.’

2024

  • Google is considering moving away from a yearly Pixel A series launch depending on the sales of the Pixel 7a, so while it has plans for the Pixel 8a (codename ‘Akita’), it can be scrapped. Instead, the company may move towards a biennial launch.
  • If the Pixel 8a does launch, it would see a price increase to $499 USD.
  • The Pixel 9 series will have three devices.
  • The Pixel 9 will feature the same size and look as the Pixel 8.
  • The Pixel 9 Pro (codenamed ‘Komodo’) will sport a 6.7-inch display, and there will be another smaller Pixel 9 Pro (codenamed ‘Caiman’) with a 6.3-inch display with Pro-level features.
  • The source mentions that this is like Apple’s strategy with the iPhone 14 series. The standard Pixel 9 is equivalent to something like the iPhone 14, the iPhone 14 Pro is comparable to the 6.3-inch Pixel Pro, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max would match up with the 6.7-inch Pixel 9 Pro.
  • All three phones would sport Tensor G4, codename ‘Redondo.’
  • There is a plan for the follow-up Pixel foldable. However, not much is known about this device. Google is likely waiting to see how the first foldable turns out.

2025

  • Google has several plans for 2025, depending on the success or failure of its devices in 2023 and 2024.
    Google is thinking about a Z Flip-style foldable, which would launch in fall 2025 alongside the Pixel 10 series.
  • If Google decides not to go with the flip-style device, it will launch four non-folding phones instead. These would match Apple’s current iPhone strategy, with two base Pixel 10s and two pro models.
  • Pixel Fold in 2025 depends on whether the 2023 Pixel Fold works well.

While Android Authority trusts this source, this leak covers information as far as two years out. The plans make sense, but they could also change significantly in the coming months and years. Personally, I hope the report’s information regarding the Pixel Fold is accurate as I’ve been waiting years for that device.

Source: Android Authority

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Mobile Syrup

New on Crave: January 2023

Bell has announced that a ton of new content is coming to Crave in January (and quite a few TV shows and movies are also leaving the platform).

Crave subscriptions start at $9.99/month for a Mobile plan, which includes access to HBO content. A $19.99/month Crave Total subscription is required to stream this content on Crave’s supported devices, like Android, iOS, Apple TV, PlayStation, etc. A $5.99 Starz add-on is also available.

Below is all the content coming to Crave in January 2023:

January 1st

  • The Bad Guys
  • Mystery Men — Starz 

January 3rd

  • Our House — Starz 
  • Queen of Spades — Starz 

January 6th

  • Escape from Planet Earth
  • Gnomeo & Juliet
  • The Innocents
  • Love in Bloom
  • The Northman
  • The Nut Jib
  • Paddington
  • You Won’t Be Alone
  • Without Sin: episodes 1-4
  • RuPaul’s Drag Race: Season 15, episodes 1-2 @9:30 ET
  • Along Came Polly — Starz
  • BMF: season 2, episode — Starz 
  • The Book Thief — Starz
  • Café De Flore — Starz
  • Carol — Starz
  • Devil’s Workshop — Starz
  • House At The End of the Street — Starz
  • Jersey Girl — Starz
  • My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 — Starz

January 7th

  • The Raccoons

January 10th

  • Regression — Starz

January 12th

  • The Climb: season 1, episodes 1-3
  • Velma: season 1, episode 1 @9pm ET

January 13th

  • All About Steve — Starz
  • Bachelorette — Starz
  • Big Trouble in China — Starz
  • The Boxtrolls — Starz
  • Citizen Kane — Starz
  • Enemy — Starz
  • The Fabulous Baker Boys — Starz 
  • The Five-Year Engagement — Starz
  • Fubar — Starz
  • Fubar 2 — Starz 
  • I Am Bruce Lee — Starz
  • Incendies — Starz 
  • My Dog Skip — Starz
  • A Single Man — Starz
  • Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets — Starz
  • Woman in Gold — Starz 
  • Dine Your Sign: Season 1 — Starz 
  • Hell of a Week with Charlamagne Tha God: season 1 — Starz
  • Highway Thru Hell: season 1
  • Teen Mom: Girls Night In: season 2
  • Your Honor: season 2, episode 1
  • The Boxtrolls
  • Camp Cold Brook
  • I Am Bruce Lee
  • Mid-Century
  • The Munsters

January 14th

Into the Deep — Starz

January 15th

The Last Of Us: season 1. episode 1 @9pm ET

January 16th

  • Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen: A Journey, A Song

January 17th

  • Birthmarked — Starz
  • The Death & Life of John F. Donovan — Starz

January 20th

  • Ambulance
  • Indian Horse
  • Monsieur Lahar
  • Oldboy (2003)
  • Dine Your Sigh: Summer
  • Just For Laughs 2022: The Gala Specials Patton Oswalt
  • Ridiculousness: season 27
  • Siesta Key: Miami Moves: season 5
  • The Aftermath — Starz
  • The Back-Up Plan — Starz
  • Beginners — Starz
  • The Break-Up — Starz
  • Florence Foster Jenkins — Starz
  • Indian Horse — Starz
  • The Iron Lady — Starz
  • It’s Complicated — Starz
  • The King’s Daughter — Starz
  • Lie With Me — Starz
  • Midnight Run — Starz
  • Mirror Mirror — Starz 

January 21st

  • Real Time With Bill Maher: season 21, episode 1
  • Mr. Magoo: season 1
  • The Power of We: A Sesame Street Special
  • See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special

January 23rd

  • The Devil’s Confession: The Lost Eichmann Tapes

January 24th

  • At First Light — Starz

January 25th

  • Chris Boucher

January 27th

  • Eiffel
  • Hands That Bind
  • Official Competition
  • Serendipity
  • Escaping The Taliban: Reporter’s Notebook By Genevive Beauchemin
  • Are You The One?: UK: season 1
  • Teen Mom UK: Their Story: season 1
  • 20 Feet From Stardom — Starz
  • The Boss — Starz
  • The Counselor — Starz
  • Couples Retreat — Starz 
  • The Host — Starz 
  • Our Idiot Brother — Starz
  • The Raid 2 — Starz
  • The Raid: Redemption — Starz
  • The Rules of Attraction — Starz
  • Scanners — Starz
  • Serependity — Starz 
  • Step Up: All In — Starz
  • The Trotsky — Starz
  • The Woman In Black — Starz 

January 28th

  • Pfffirates: season 1

January 31st

  • Extraterrestrial

Here’s what’s leaving Crave

  • Ted (January 5th)
  • Doctor Who: seasons 1-13 (January 6th)
  • Doctor Who: Eve of the Daleks (January 6th)
  • Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctors (January 6th)
  • Death of A Ladies Man (January 11th)
  • The American President (January 14th)
  • The Conjuring: The Devil Made Do It (January 20th)
  • Derek Delgaudio’s In & Of Itself (January 20th)
  • Friday (January 23rd)
  • Love & Basketball (January 23rd)
  • In The Heights (January 27th)
  • Percy (January 28th)
  • Like A House on Fire (January 29th)
  • 42 (January 31st)
  • Above the Rim (January 31st)
  • All My Life (January 31st)
  • Antwone Fisher (January 31st)
  • ATL (January 31st)
  • Baggage Claim (January 31st)
  • Beverly Hills Cop (January 31st)
  • The Birth of A Nation (January 31st)
  • Blade (January 31st)
  • Blade II (January 31st)
  • Blade: Trinity (January 31st)
  • Brown Sugar (January 31st)
  • The Chronicles Of Riddick: Pitch Black (January 31st)
  • Drumline (January 31st)
  • Forrest Gump (January 31st)
  • Half Brothers (January 31st)
  • The Hate U Give (January 31st)
  • House Party (January 31st)
  • Human Nature (January 31st)
  • I Think I Love My life (January 31st)
  • Jigsaw (January 31st)
  • The Journals of Knud Rasmussen (January 31st)
  • The Last Days of Disco (January 31st)
  • Lennox Lewis: The Untold Stories (January 31st)
  • Mean Girls (January 31st)
  • Logan Lucky (January 31st)
  • Menace II Society (January 31st)
  • New Jack City (January 31st)
  • Notorious (January 31st)
  • The Nutty Professor (January 31st)
  • Open Water (January 31st)
  • Out of Sight (January 31st)
  • Passenger 57 (January 31st)
  • Public Enemies (January 31st)
  • Radical Obsession (January 31st)
  • The Secret Life of Bees (January 31st)
  • Selma (January 31st)
  • Soul Food (January 31st)
  • Titanic (January 31st)
  • Trigger Point (January 31st)
  • A United Kingdom (January 31st)
  • What to Expect When You’re Expecting (January 31st)

Image credit: Crave