Author: Mobile Syrup

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Microsoft enters ’10-year commitment’ to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo

Xbox boss Phil Spencer announced today on Twitter that Microsoft has entered a “10-year commitment” to bring Call of Duty (COD) to Nintendo consoles, following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

Microsoft announced plans to acquire Activision Blizzard back in January, in a deal valued at $68.7 billion USD (about $85.96 billion CAD at the time). The acquisition has been criticized by regulators, with concerns regarding Microsoft withholding Activision Blizzard’s games from competitor consoles, like the PlayStation.

However, today’s announcement makes it clear that COD title(s) won’t be hoarded for the Xbox, and that COD titles would continue to be available on Steam as well, after the Microsoft-Activision deal closes.

It’s worth noting that the last major COD title that made its way to a Nintendo console was Call of Duty: Ghosts in 2013, when it arrived on the Wii U. Spencer’s announcement would make it so that whichever COD title makes its way to the Nintendo Switch would be the first COD title on the console.

Elsewhere, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith has offered Sony a 10-year deal for the COD franchise, as reported by Kotaku, which would allow COD titles to remain playable on PlayStation consoles. This comes after Microsoft offered Call of Duty to remain on PlayStation for three years after the current agreement between Activision and Sony ends.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Source: @XboxP3

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Pixel phones will remember to keep Wi-Fi on in Airplane mode

Arriving alongside Google’s latest Pixel drop is a feature I don’t think many noticed exists. 9to5Google spotted a new setting that allows users to keep Wi-Fi on by default when airplane mode is on.

Before, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned off when you turned on airplane mode. However, following the update, once you switch Wi-Fi back on after starting airplane mode, the phone remembers this preference and leaves Wi-Fi on in the future.

The first time you turn Wi-Fi or Bluetooth on in airplane mode, you’ll see an Android system notification that says, “If you keep Bluetooth on, it will stay on the next time you’re in airplane mode.” Then, the next time you are on a plane, it’ll say, “Your phone remembers to keep Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on in airplane mode. To change this, turn them off.”

It’s helpful that the device now remembers your choices, but I don’t think this feature is necessary because airplane Wi-Fi typically sucks and is expensive. Who is trying to use awful airplane Wi-Fi on their Pixel smartphone? Maybe on a laptop, but logging in from a smartphone is far less likely.

Google says this feature will work on Android 11 devices and up.

This feature released alongside the December Pixel Feature Drop.

Source: Google Via: 9to5Google

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Ads from brands appeared on white nationalist Twitter pages

While some companies, like Apple and Amazon, have started advertising on Twitter again, others have raised concerns after their ads appeared on the pages of white nationalists.

The Washington Post (via The Verge) reported that some 40 high-profile brands and organizations have complained, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Amazon, Uber, Snap, GoDaddy, USA Today and Morning Brew.

Ads for some of these organizations were spotted on the Twitter profiles of Andrew Anglin, the editor of neo-Nazi website The Daily Stormer, and Patrick Casey, who previously led the white nationalist group Identity Evropa, later rebranded as the American Identity Movement. Bother Anglin and Casey had their accounts banned from Twitter in 2013 and 2019, respectively. However, after Elon Musk took over Twitter and granted a “general amnesty,” both returned to the platform.

Moreover, The Washington Post reported seeing ads alongside white supremacist posts on Twitter pages with names like “No White Guilt Clips” and “White Power Ranger.”

Image credit: The Washington Post

It’s worth noting that the ads no longer appear on Anglin’s or Casey’s accounts. A Twitter employee told The Washington Post that Twitter pages must be flagged to prevent advertising from appearing on them. Twitter didn’t respond to requests for comment from The Verge or The Washington Post, but that might have something to do with Musk reportedly firing most of the company’s press team.

Speaking of layoffs, if Twitter relies on a system of flagging accounts to prevent advertising from appearing on them, it’s highly likely Anglin, Casey, and others slipped through the cracks. With Musk’s general amnesty allowing thousands of accounts to return to the platform and Twitter operating with a skeleton crew, there just might not be enough people flagging problematic accounts.

The HHS told The Washington Post that it would pull ads from Twitter since “having [ads] appear on hateful Twitter channels is inconsistent with [its] values.” Similarly, USA Today said it would contact Twitter because the content “obviously does not align with [its] values or mission.”

Ultimately, it seems like those who have resumed ads on Twitter (or who never stopped advertising in the first place) may be running into the problems that led several brands and advertising agencies to pull out of Twitter in the first place. After Musk’s takeover, he tweeted that Twitter’s ad revenue had fallen and blamed activists for it. Later, ad agencies labelled Twitter “high risk” as they bailed on the platform. Musk, however, continued blaming activists for the consequences of his own actions.

You can follow the ongoing Twitter saga here.

Source: The Washington Post Via: The Verge

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Echo Show 15 update brings Amazon Fire TV to the smart display

Amazon Canada is launching the Amazon Fire TV experience on all new and existing Echo Show 15 devices with a free update on December 7th.

Now, Echo Show 15 users can find and watch more than a million movies and TV episodes through streaming services like Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Paramount+ and more, as long as they have a subscription.

To launch a streaming app, you can say, “Alexa, open Fire TV,” or “Alexa, open Disney+.” You can even be more specific and say, “Alexa, play The Rings of Power.” You can also pair the Alexa Voice Remote (3rd-gen). Tap the home button on the remote, quickly access the Fire TV, and click on the live TV button or go straight to your content with one of the app buttons on the remote.

Back in September, Amazon introduced custom-built spatial audio processing for the Echo Studio, and now it’s also coming to the Echo Show alongside the Fire TV.

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Where to stream James Cameron’s Avatar in Canada before The Way of Water

Thirteen years after the release of Avatar, James Cameron is finally back with a sequel, The Way of Water.

It’s the first of the Canadian filmmaker’s four planned follow-ups to the highest-grossing movie of all time, and it’s set to be a massive blockbuster. While it remains to be seen how well it will perform, given its debatable lack of cultural relevance and the long gap between the previous film, it’s gotten rave reviews following its December 6th premiere.

Speaking of how long it’s been since that first film, though, you might have forgotten much of it or simply want to revisit Cameron’s world of Pandora. With that in mind, you can stream it on Disney+ Canada. The movie was temporarily removed from the service as part of a limited 4K theatrical re-release in September, but it’s since returned on time for The Way of Water.

The Way of Water will open in theatres on December 16th.

Do you like Avatar? Are you excited for The Way of Water? Let us know in the comments.

Image credit: 20th Century Studios

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Samsung Watch4 discounted by 23 percent today

The market is flooded with smartwatches and fitness trackers, such as the Apple Watch, Fitbit, Pixel Watch, Garmin, Whoop, and others.

Samsung’s Galaxy Watches have a plethora of features with a traditional watch design, and they are on sale nu up to 23 percent off through Amazon Canada. Here is a roundup of the deals:

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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CD Projekt Red is ending support for Gwent in 2023

CD Projekt Red is ending support for its Gwent mobile game after September 2023. The developer showed off its roadmap for the card game, revealing there will be no new cards or active support after the final card release in September.

The video indicates the final batch will feature 72 new cards, and they’ll release in April, July and September. The developers will watch over the final batch of cards to see if any balance changes are necessary. Following this, the company plans to allow players to decide if they want to balance cards.

“We want to give you, the Gwent community, the right tools and opportunities to drive the balance changes of the game going forward,” the developers said in the video. Further, CD Projekt Red is working on a way for players to leave feedback on cards that require balancing in-game so they can continue and fix balance issues, even after CD Projekt Red ends support.

CD Projekt Red is also ending support for The Witcher: Monster Slayer, the company’s Pokémon Go-like game, in 2023. Monster Slayer will be removed from the App Store and Play Store on January 31st, with servers shutting down on June 3oth.

CD Projekt Red has previously said it’s working on new Witcher experiences, remaking the first Witcher game and creating additional content for Cyberpunk 2077, so it makes sense the company is focusing on these bigger launches.

Image credit: CD Projekt Red

Source: CD Projekt Red Via: The Verge

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YouTube is adding Twitch-like custom emotes

YouTube is starting to roll out Twitch-like custom emotes, dubbed YouTube Emotes. These emotes can be used in the comment sections and during live chats. However, it’s worth noting that YouTube already allowed streamers to create their own reactions and emotes.

These emotes are focused on gaming, but YouTube indicates that more are coming.

Now, in YouTube’s emoji picker, you’ll see a list of YouTube Emotes below a channel’s own custom emotes. Also, like Twitch’s emotes, YouTube’s has specific names, so you can quickly type “:cat-orange-whistling:”

These gaming remotes were created by Abelle Hayford, Guy Field and Yujin Won.

Source: YouTube

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MobileSyrup’s Smart Health Gift Guide [2022 Edition]

Who doesn’t want to live a healthier lifestyle? Yet, if you’re like me, you probably find it challenging to create routines, build good habits, and especially find encouragement.

Smart health accessories are a great way to help you feel motivated and keep yourself on track. Smart health isn’t necessarily about doing anything unique or revolutionary. It’s about democratizing health data previously only collected occasionally in a hospital or doctor’s office. 

Using some of the gear in this gift guide, you, a family member or a friend can gain valuable insight into your health through data collection. Over time, this data becomes useful trends that help encourage you to push forward and continue to improve.  

While much of this smart health tech is something we may like, it’s not always something we’re willing to buy for ourselves. So, this holiday season, consider adding some of these smart health accessories to your personal gift list or grabbing one for someone special in your life. Here are some of my top smart health accessories for this holiday shopping season.

Apple Watch or Pixel Watch

There are many fitness trackers on the market. However, for simplicity, here are two of the most popular options: the Apple Watch and the Pixel Watch. The Apple Watch is the top choice for iPhone users, claiming around a quarter to a third of the world’s smartwatch market share. Meanwhile, the Pixel Watch is the stylish new Android smartwatch to feature smarts by Google and fitness tracking by Fitbit. 

The Apple Watch Series 8 and the Pixel Watch are pretty similar. Both feature ECG, heart rate detection, blood oxygen, activity monitoring, sleep tracking, a microphone, a speaker, and an always-on display. Both watches also come in either Bluetooth/Wi-Fi only or Bluetooth/Wi-Fi + Cellular (LTE). 

The Pixel Watch is stainless steel with a round 41mm diameter face and features up to 24 hours of battery life. The Apple Watch Series 8 is a square design with either a 41mm or 45mm display, up to 18 hours of battery life, and comes in aluminum or stainless steel. 

Apple also offers the Apple Watch SE for the more cost-conscious. While the Apple Watch SE does feature heart rate tracking and all the core activity and sleep monitoring functionality, it doesn’t feature an always-on display, blood oxygen detection, or ECG. 

The Apple Watch Ultra is a more premium option featuring all of the Apple Watch Series 8 features. It also has a titanium build and up to 36 hours of battery life. Apple Watch users may also benefit from our “14 Apple Watch apps to help you live a healthier life” article. 

You can order the Pixel Watch directly from Google starting at $449. Apple Watches can be ordered directly from Apple, with the series 8 starting at $529, the SE starting at $329, and the Ultra at $1099

Withings Thermo Smart Temporal Thermometer

Whether you’re a parent checking a sick child’s temperature or a person tracking their own health metric, the Withings Thermo Smart Temporal Thermometer is a great choice. This highly accurate thermometer uses sixteen infrared sensors to calculate a person’s temperature. Unlike traditional thermometers, this one is no-contact. Meaning it’s unobtrusive and sanitary. 

Data is wirelessly tracked for up to eight users via the Withings Health Mate app, which is available on iOS and Android. As an added bonus, iOS users can sync their data with the Apple Health app. In situations where you need to conduct a random temperature check and the data doesn’t need to be stored, the Withings Thermo Smart Temporal Thermometer can do that too. 

This thermometer works by hovering it above a person’s forehead centre to the temporal lobe. The thermometer vibrates once a person’s temperature is calculated. Users can swipe between profiles using the LED touch screen on the side to correctly assign the temperature. 

You can order the Withings Thermo Smart Temporal Thermometer in white from Best Buy for $129.99.

Withings Smart Scales

Another fantastic product is Withings Smart Scales. Withings offers three variations; the Body, Body+, and Body Cardio. Of course, all three scales detect your weight and can log that data for up to eight users via Withings’ Health Mate app. Additionally, all three scales calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI) and come in black or white. 

While the Withings Body scale only tracks weight and BMI, the Body+ model calculates a person’s body fat, water, bone, and muscle masses. The Body+ also features Baby and Pregnancy modes to help weigh even the smallest family members. Both the Body and Body+ models feature 18-month battery life on a single set of batteries. 

The Body Cardio includes all of the Body+’s features plus standing heart rate detection and cardiovascular health. Cardiovascular health is determined through vascular age detection, a feature that estimates how old you are on the inside by assessing the health of your arteries. The Body Cardio scale offers up to one year of battery life with a single set of batteries. 

When deciding which model to buy, consider the Body as the no-frills option to log your weight and build trends over time. The Body+ is my personal scale of choice, providing an excellent range of metrics for only a bit more money. The Body Cardio is a perfect choice if you want the best and are willing to pay the premium. However, if you already have a heart rate monitor like an Apple Watch, the Body Cardio may be a less compelling choice. As a bonus to iOS users, Withings’ scales also support syncing data to the Apple Health app. 

You can order all three Withings scales from Amazon; the Body is $79.95, the Body+ is $99.99, and the Body Cardio is $183.99.

Tangram Smart Rope

Tangram is trying to reinvigorate your cardio workouts by making skipping rope cool again. Tangram offers two versions of their smart skipping ropes, ROOKIE and LED. Both versions automatically track your cardio workout session duration, calories burned and skips via Tangram’s iOS, Android, or Apple Watch app. For iOS and Apple Watch users, your data can also sync to the Apple Health app. 

The LED model has the additional benefit of showing the skipper their skip count in the air. As the LEDs built into the skipping rope move overhead, they show your number of skips. The ROOKIE is size adjustable and comes in black, blue, coral, and pink. The LED model comes in three different sizes: small, medium, and large and in three colours: black, chrome, and red. 

Both skipping ropes are available for order on Amazon, with the ROOKIE starting at $39 and the LED at $106.17.

Withings Bpm Connect Blood Pressure Monitor

The Withings Bpm Connect works like a regular blood pressure monitor cuff, except it wireless logs your blood pressure data into the Withings Health Mate app. iOS users can also sync their data to the Apple Health app.

The Withings Bpm Connect has a cuff range of 22-42cm and lasts up to six months on a single charge. 

Order the Withings Bpm Connect on Amazon for $203.90.

Philips Sonicare Diamond Clean Smart Toothbrush

As silly as it may sound, the Philips Sonicare Diamond Clean Smart Toothbrush made brushing my teeth kind of fun and interesting. As an electric toothbrush, the Philips Sonicare Diamond Clean brings all the benefits of having cleaner teeth and healthier gums when compared to using a manual toothbrush. 

You also get some neat settings and brushing tips. Select from four brushing modes: clean, white, gum health, or deep clean. Each mode focuses on specific areas depending on where you’re looking to target. There are also three different levels of brushing intensity. 

The smart aspect of this toothbrush is it connects via Bluetooth to your smartphone using the Sonicare iOS or Android app. The app tracks where you’ve brushed and provides feedback on missed areas. It also alerts you when you have applied too much pressure or have moved too much. 

The Philips Sonicare Diamond Clean Smart Toothbrush comes in black, white, pink, and rose gold. It also comes with a travel case and charges via a fancy glass inductive charger. 

Order the Philips Sonicare Diamond Clean Smart Toothbrush on Amazon for $215.

HydrateSpark Pro Smart Waterbottle

Do you think to yourself, “I need to drink more water?” Good news! There’s a smart water bottle designed to do just that. HidrateSpark creates three water bottles with an LED base that glows when it’s time to drink. The HidrateSpark water bottles report your water consumption to your iOS or Android device using the HidrateSpark Smart Bottle app. iOS users can also sync their data with the Apple Health app. 

The three models available are a 24oz plastic bottle that comes in black or blue and 21 or 32oz stainless steel bottles that come in black or silver. All three bottles come with two lids, one of which is a straw. The stainless steel bottles can keep your water cold for up to 24 hours. 

All three bottles are available to order from Apple, with the 24oz plastic bottle priced at $79.95, the 21oz stainless steel bottle at $94.95, and the 32oz stainless steel bottle at $104.95.

Withings Sleep Tracking Mat

Using technology to track your sleep is a popular way to collect data to better understand why you sleep well or poorly. Smartwatches like the Apple Watch and Pixel Watch are excellent ways to track sleep. However, if you aren’t a fan of wearing a watch to bed, Withings has you covered! 

The Withings Sleep Tracking Mat is a pad you place under your mattress to better understand your sleep cycles, heart rate, breathing, and snoring. Data is synced to your iOS or Android device via the Withings Health Mate app, and iOS users can sync the data with the Apple Health app. 

The Withings Sleep Tracking Mat is available at Best Buy for $134.99.

BACtrack Mobile Breathalyzer

The BACtrack Mobile Breathalyzer aims to remove the guesswork from figuring out when it is safe for a person to drive again after drinking. This Bluetooth breathalyzer detects your blood alcohol level and syncs the data to your iOS or Android device. iOS users can even sync this data with the Apple Health app. The idea behind carrying a small portable breathalyzer is to remind social drinkers the only safe time to drive is when you show a 0.00 percent blood alcohol level. 

Order the BACtrack Mobile Breathalyzer from Amazon for $129.97.

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

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OnePlus is entering the mechanical keyboard market

Smartphone company OnePlus hasn’t shied away from developing gadgets other than phones. The company makes TVs, webcams, earbuds, wearables and even phone cooling accessories.

Now, in partnership with Keychron, OnePlus has announced that it will develop a fully customizable keyboard.

“ALL-NEW on OnePlus Featuring The first-ever keyboard created by OnePlus,” reads the company’s website. “The first-ever OnePlus mechanical keyboard is fully customizable and features Keychron technology. Get ready to discover more on December 15.”

The company did not share any technical details about the keyboard, like what kind of switches it will feature, whether it’ll be wireless or wired, and if it will sport a 60 percent, TKL or full-sized footprint. It is also currently unknown if the keyboard will be available for Canadians to order.

According to a forum post by a product marketing manager for OnePlus, the company has a sample pack for the keyboard that includes a Switch Sampler Kit and four different material keycaps, including ABS, PBT, TPSIV and Silicone.

Elsewhere, OnePlus is also ready to launch two new monitors in India on December 12th. Learn more here.

Image credit: Keychron

Source: OnePlus