Author: Mobile Syrup

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Mobile Syrup

Apple Music becomes available on Roku TVs

Apple Music has finally made its way to RokuOS, making the company’s little streaming devices even better. I’ve been saying for over a year now that Roku makes the best low-cost Apple TVs, and this update helps solidify that point even more.

Roku owners could only AirPlay Apple Music content to their televisions, but now with the app, you don’t need to have an Apple device within reach to initiate your tunes. The new app also allows users to browse Apple Music and even sing along with lyrics. At the time of writing, the Roku Store doesn’t appear to list the new app, but TechCrunch reports that it will release today.

This means that Roku users now have access to Apple TV/iTunes content and Apple Music baked directly into its TVs. If Apple decides to roll out the Fitness+ app more broadly, then all three of the Apple TV-based apps would be on Roku (and likely FireTV).

I’d be remiss not to mention that regardless of all this streaming to Roku TVs, using AirPlay is still viable option.

It appears that Apple is also allowing users to sign up for Apple Music through the Roku Store, which likely means that Apple is offering a cut of these transactions to the company.

I’d expect this to be marginal to Apple, but there’s a strong chance the two tech giants worked out some sort of deal. That said, this is notable since Apple generally rules its own App Store with an iron fist.

Via: TechCrunch

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Mobile Syrup

May security update is now rolling out on supported Pixel devices

Google’s May update is now rolling out on supported Pixel devices (Pixel 3a-Pixel 6 Pro).

This month there are only three fixes. The Pixel 6 will receive improved haptic feedback under certain conditions and use cases. Additionally, all the devices will get a fix for an issue that causes to display to wake up without any interactions and a fix for an issue causing the launcher to crash after restarting the device.

The patch resolves 14 security issues, and the vulnerabilities range from moderate to critical. The exploit,  known as ‘Dirty Pipe,’ is now getting a fix on the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. The exploit allows an attacker to gain full control of a Linux-based device, including Chromebooks and Android devices. The exploit hit the Pixel 6 and S22 series. Samsung reportedly solved issue with the S22 series with its latest patch.    

If you’re running Android 12, you will receive a notification when the over-the-air (OTA) update becomes available to you. The OTA files and factory images are now available if you can’t wait for the over-the-air update.

This should be the last update for the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL.

Source: Google (2) Via: 9to5Google

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Mobile Syrup

Several AirPods and Apple Watch models are discounted at Costco

Costco Canada currently has several Apple Watch models and various generations of AirPods on sale until Sunday, May 8th.

Check out the deals below:

Apple Watch Series 7 GPS 41mm: $478 (regularly $528)

Apple Watch Series 7 GPS 45mm: $518 (regularly $568)

Apple Watch SE GPS 40 mm Aluminium Case with Sport Band: $299 (regularly $329)

Apple Watch SE GPS 44 mm Aluminium Case with Sport Band: $339 (regularly $369)

Apple Watch Series 6 GPS Silver Aluminium Case with White Sport Band 40mm: $399 (regularly $459)

Beats Studio Buds True Wireless Noise Cancelling Earphones: $10 off

Apple Airpods with Charging Case: Available for $148.99

Apple Airpods 3rd Gen with MagSafe Charging Case: $209 (regularly $219)

Apple AirPods Pro with MagSafe Charging Case: $248 (regularly $267)

Find out all the Apple Watch and AirPods deals at Costco here.

It’s worth noting that you need to be a Costco member to purchase the above-mentioned products.

Source: Costco Via: iPhoneinCanada

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Mobile Syrup

CIBC to enable future-dated and recurring Interac e-Transfer transactions

CIBC is rolling out a new Interac e-Transfer to enable its clients to set up recurring or future-dated payments. The new feature is accessible through a CIBC Online Banking or CIBC Mobile Banking account.

As part of the new feature, CIBC clients can schedule Interac e-Transfer transactions up to five years in the future. CIBC is the first of the five major Canadian banking institutions to support such a feature.

Clients can schedule weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly, bi-annually, and annually payments. Additionally, the rollout of this feature includes the ability to view upcoming, successful and unsuccessful transactions. Clients are also able to cancel upcoming payments if and when they choose to do so. Finally, CIBC clients can manage alerts for both successful and unsuccessful payments.

“Enabling future-dated and recurring Interac e-Transfer transactions will allow our clients to put their payments on autopilot, saving time and avoiding the frustration of a missed payment,” said Chris Sweetland, Senior Vice-President, Payments Strategy and Transformation. “Clients will no longer need to remember to write cheques or send money for regular payments such as rent or recurring services like babysitting or cleaning.”

CIBC claims recent data shows approximately 20 percent of current Interac e-Transfer transactions are recurring. Additionally, roughly 56 percent of surveyed clients indicate the ability to schedule a transaction would be useful.

Finally, William Keliehor, the chief commercial officer of Interac Corp., says that over 2.5 million e-Transfer interactions are made on average each day to send and receive money. “We have seen the positive impact enhancements like recurring transactions can have on managing personal finances.”

It will be interesting to see which of the next Candian banks follow suit and begin supporting similar features.

Image credit: CIBC

Source: CIBC

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Mobile Syrup

Google Nest Hub to receive expanded Google Fit and Fitbit integration

Google is expanding its health integrations from Google Fit and Fitbit on the Nest Hub. Moving forward, the Nest Hub can display the number of steps taken, calories burned, and other useful metrics regarding the user.

Google has published a new support page. The article covers the new integrations and what to do to enable them on the user’s end. “Activity metrics like number of steps and calories burned from Google Fit or Fitbit can be shown on your Nest display,” are amongst the latest integrations, says Google.

In order to enable the integrations, users must access certain Google Assistant settings. To link your Fitness account, users must navigate to the Google Home app and go to the ‘Assistant settings’ tab and to ‘Wellness.’ From there, navigating to ‘Activity’ and selecting either ‘Google Fit or Fitbit’ pulls up the ‘Connect’ option.

Currently, Google Next Hub displays sleep analytics on the second-generation Nest Hub. The devices show these stats as part of the ‘Wellness’ tab with Soli-powered Sleep Sensing. The assumption is that users can also verbally ask Google Assistant for these analytics as well.

Google lists the support page as a sub-category under the Google Nest Hub (2nd gen.) This gives us a pretty clear indication as to what hardware will have access to this integration. However, given that other devices have access to ‘Personal results’ and ‘Proactive health & fitness results’ permissions, other Smart Display devices may be compatible.

There’s currently no word on when Google plans for a wide rollout of these integrations for its Nest Hub.

Source: Google Via: 9to5Google

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Mobile Syrup

New Android 13 Beta 1 brings face unlock UI to the Pixel 6 Pro

Google’s Pixel 6 and 6 Pro released without face unlock support, but the new Android 13 Beta 1 suggests that the Pro model might be getting face authentication in the near future.

While there haven’t been any recent comments by Google about the addition of face unlock for the Pixel 6 series, the new Android 13 beta seemingly shows a face unlock setting on the Pixel 6 Pro, according to Android Headlines. The feature isn’t usable at the moment, though its UI’s presence in the beta-running Pixel 6 Pro and its absence in the same beta-running Pixel 6 indicates that the feature might be heading to the pro device soon.

It’s worth noting that the Pixel 6 line doesn’t have dedicated face id hardware, though its in-house Tensor chip, which has accurate face detection, paired with the Pixel 6 Pro’s 11.1-megapixel selfie camera might be the route to go if Google wants to introduce face unlock to its flagship.

According to 9to5Google, The Pixel 6 Pro houses the Sony IMX663 sensor with dual-pixel autofocus (DPAF), which allows the device to create depth when shooting in Portrait Mode. Said depth is useful for capturing the details and contours of your face, which, when combined with the Tensor’s face detection prowess, could allow Google to introduce Face ID to the Pixel 6 Pro with just a simple software update.

The Pixel 6, on the other hand, doesn’t feature the Sony IMX663 sensor, and instead utilizes the Sony IMX355 sensor that doesn’t support dual-pixel autofocus (DPAF). This further confirms that if Face ID is to come to the Pixel 6 series, the Pixel 6 is out of luck.

Via: Android Headlines, 9to5Google 

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Mobile Syrup

New book explains why Jony Ive quit Apple

Since Jony Ive’s departure from Apple, several of the tech giant’s products have changed drastically.

There’s the very capable/chunky, but port-filled MacBook Pro (2021), the death of the Butterfly keyboard and most recently, the impressive Mac Studio and slightly less impressive Studio Display. These new products and revisions to existing devices probably wouldn’t have happened if the tech giant’s long-serving chief designer was still around, given Ive’s design-forward focus and fondness for thin devices.

Since Ive left Apple in 2019, it’s been unclear why he opted to move on after almost three decades of working at the company and shaping its design legacy. Now, a New York Times article focused on an excerpt from Tipp Mickle’s upcoming book, After Steve: How Apple Became a Trillion Dollar Company and Lost Its Soul, sheds light on Ive’s decision to leave.

According to the book, Ive left Apple following years of frustration as the company shifted from a focus on design to one that’s more utilitarian. Mickle’s book delves into Ive’s relationship with Apple’s former CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs during the development of the iMac. Following Job’s death, the book describes how Ive’s role at the company shifted and outlines how his relationship with Tim Cook, Apple’s current CEO, wasn’t as close.

As the Apple Watch shifted from focusing on fashion to fitness, Ive spoke to Cook about stepping back from the business side of Apple. The executive was reportedly frustrated with managing hundreds of staff instead of a smaller design team. This resulted in Cook giving Ive the chief design officer position and Ive switching to reviewing product progress on a weekly cadence instead of daily.

Mickle’s book also delves into Ive being late for meetings and how he became slow to approve designs. In an amusing twist, Ive invited his design team to watch the movie ‘Yesterday’ as a “two-hour exploration of the eternal conflict between art and commerce.”

Ive received an exit package valued at more than $100 million, according to Mickle.

After Steve: How Apple Became a Trillion Dollar Company and Lost Its Soul releases on May 3rd.

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Mobile Syrup

Eero’s new Home Mesh Wi-Fi systems are on sale at Best Buy

Amazon-owned Eero’s latest Home Mesh Wi-Fi systems — the Eero Pro 6E and Eero 6+ are currently discounted at Best Buy.

The 6+ and Pro 6E’s predecessors only supported Wi-Fi 6, limiting them to use 2.4 GHz or 5GHz radio bands, whereas the new Eero Pro 6E mesh Wi-fi systems can operate on the 6 GHz band, allowing multiple devices to use the internet at once without congestion, great for dense network environments like offices.

The new Eero Pro 6E can support over 100 devices simultaneously, with speeds up to 2.3Gbps, which is great for gaming, streaming 8K videos or live streaming. Additionally, since the device has two ethernet ports (2.5 GbE and 1.0 GbE), the Eero Pro 6E can support multigigabit internet plans.

Regularly available for $999.99, the Eero Pro 6E’s 3-pack is currently available at Best Buy for $848.99, marking a $151 discount on the recently-released product.

Similarly, the Eero 6+ can support over 75 devices at once, though it does not support Wi-Fi 6E. It is ideal for those with a gigabit internet connection, with a single unit covering up to 140 square metres and a 3-pack covering about 420 square metres.

Regularly available for $429.99, the Eero 6+ 3-pack is currently available at Best Buy for $364.99, marking a $65 discount.

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Via: RedFlagDeals

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Mobile Syrup

Here are the games hitting PlayStation Now in May 2022

PlayStation has revealed the new batch of games coming to its PlayStation Now streaming service in May.

This month, three titles are joining the catalogue: the fighting games Soul Calibur VI and Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 and action-platformer Blasphemous.

All three games are hitting PS Now on May 3rd. Find out what came to PS Now in April here.

It’s important to note that PS Now is getting folded into an expanded PlayStation Plus in June. A full breakdown of the pricing of this service, which will simply be called PlayStation Plus, can be found here. Just note that converting to the service through existing PS Now/Plus memberships is… complicated.

Source: PlayStation

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Mobile Syrup

Google’s upcoming Pixel Watch will house a 300mAh battery

Google’s often-rumoured Pixel Watch, codenamed Pixel Rohan, is nearing its rumoured release and has already been filed as a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Now, new information coming from 9to5Google gives us a brief overview of the watch’s specifications and features.

According to 9to5Google and its sources, the upcoming Pixel Watch will feature a 300mAh battery. For reference, the Apple Watch Series 7 features a 309mAh battery, whereas the Galaxy Watch4 40mm is equipped with a 247mAh battery, both of which offer a full day of usage per charge.

Additionally, 9to5Google‘s report also suggests that the Pixel Watch will be heavier than its competition, coming in at 36g without the straps and will feature cellular connectivity, but not on all of its models.

At Alphabet’s earnings call on April 26th, the company’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, stated that new hardware will be revealed at Google I/O on May 11th. This may be when the tech giant will finally show off the long-awaited Pixel Watch. Recently, a Redditor posted live images of the Pixel Watch.

Source: 9to5Google

Image Credit: Tagtech, Via: Reddit