A group of independent Freedom Mobile franchise dealers have filed three lawsuits against the company.
The dealers have been “negatively and severely impacted by Freedom’s programming and compensation plans effecting the network,” a press release outlining the lawsuits states.
“The lawsuits seek damages for each of the dealers representing the alleged losses they have suffered as a result of Freedom’s operation of their various channels of distribution and in the compensation paid to the dealers.”
The negative impact started in early 2020 and increased following Rogers’ announcement to acquire Shaw.
The lawsuits were filed on behalf of the Association of F-Branded Wireless Dealers. The group represents 22 independent franchised dealers and dealer groups. They collectively operate 180 stores in Ontario and Alberta.
“Although the Freedom dealers do not know the future of the Freedom brand as a result of the uncertainty as to who will in fact acquire the assets of Freedom Mobile, the dealers remain hopeful that they will once again have the opportunity to remain a strong force in the marketplace for the benefit of many Canadians,” the press release states.
Candice Houtekier is working on setting a precedent in the Canadian art market, and it’s completely digital.
Houtekier is the founder of Art Collision. Along with her team, she helps organizations and artists host art events in the virtual world by installing exhibitions.
The agency has worked with multiple museums, art galleries, and independent artists. But it was a process to get here.
“Unfortunately, the Canadian art market is very conservative,” Houtekier told MobileSyrup.
Houtekier has a background in art history and video game studies. After working as a gallery assistant in commercial art galleries for a couple of years, she wanted to use digital tools to improve the presence of art online and have it reach more audiences. She decided to make this happen on her own back in 2019.
There are two different ways to install exhibitions virtually, Houtekier explains. The first involves downloading a virtual reality application that allows people to host exhibitions. The second option is to use web applications powered by the Ethereum blockchain.
The pandemic
Houtekier incorporated Art Collision roughly seven months before the pandemic started, and she found the pandemic left “a big gap.”
“The art world is a world of events where people are used to having opening receptions, gallery tours, and meeting the artists,” she said. “With the COVID pandemic, everything stopped.”
Allowing people to meet virtually gave them a way to step away from a bleak reality and enter a world familiar to them.
Focusing on inclusivity
She isn’t only blazing the way for art in VR but representing women as well. Houtekier said there aren’t a lot of women in the virtual art world, an extension of what she’s seen in the traditional art market. Men make up the pool of decision-makers for museums, art organizations, and even nonprofits.
Houtekier wanted to incorporate the theme of inclusivity early on, but she found it difficult until other women represented opportunities to grow her business.
At the time, Houtekier was working on her own, taking contracts on the side, and was looking for opportunities to network. She attended a conference put on by TechTO and was presented with the opportunity to attend an incubator focusing on women in business.
She says this is when she discovered the power of such programs, as they really helped her scale up her business.
Houtekier has since received support and grants from various sources, including the Canadian Government, to grow her business. She believes the government is trying to help female entrepreneurs working at the intersection of art and technology.
Most recently, she opened her own gallery space called Floating Point Gallery. The gallery displays various artworks, including wearables; digital fashion avatars wear. This represents part of what Houtekier wanted, to push the boundaries of art, and break away from the traditional, gated mindset.
“I think that a lot of people aren’t going to be left behind because they refuse to believe that these digital worlds will have a major impact on the Canadian art scene.”
Meta might be readying up for the release of its rumoured Quest 2 Pro virtual reality headset, and it may come as soon as next week.
The Quest 2, arguably the company’s best VR headset, might be getting a Pro upgrade, according to reliable Meta Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Meta would release new Oculus Quest with a better design & immersive experience in 2H22. I reiterate predictions from my report last year on upgrade highlights, including: 1. 2.48″ mini-LED display with a resolution of 2160×2160 (per eye). 2. 2P Pancake (vs. current 1P Fresnel).
Since the upcoming rumoured release will be a ‘Pro’ model, Meta is expected to make substantial improvements to the Quest 2. According to Kuo, the next iteration of the Quest 2 Pro will feature two new 2.38-inch mini-LED displays with a 2160×2160 resolution — an upgrade from the Quest 2’s 1832×1920 LCD display. For reference, Sony’s PSVR 2 features a 2000×2040 OLED display.
Additionally, the new headset is expected to feature a new 2P Pankcake lens design in contrast to the Quest 2’s 1P Fresnel design — allowing Meta to reduce the overall profile and weight of the headset while not having to compromise on display quality.
The rumoured headset’s pricing remains unclear, though it will most likely be more expansive than the Quest 2’s $459 starting price.
However, these are just leaks are just rumours, and we recommend that you take them with a grain of salt. That being said, Meta’s Quest Gaming Showcase is scheduled for Wednesday, April 20th — next week. While the event traditionally focuses on game announcements, gameplay teasers and updates on titles, it would be fitting if Meta unveils the Quest 2’s successor during the keynote.
Last year’s event brought updates to several games Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge, Pistol Whip and Resident Evil 4 VR. As for this year, Among US has confirmed that it will be a part of the showcase. Additionally, at Meta’s October Connect event, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is coming to the Oculus Quest 2.
While we haven’t heard more about the VR adaptation of undoubtedly one of the most popular titles ever, the Meta Quest Gaming Showcase is a good opportunity for the release of the title.
heads up Crewmates, we're gonna be in the Meta Quest Gaming Showcase! ✅ april 20 ✅ new bean footage ✖ no Impostors allowed
Crave offers its own originals, Starz, Showcase and HBO content. This week, even The Batman is streaming on Crave at the same time and date as its HBO Max release in the U.S., and only six weeks after its theatrical release.
Like always, there’s Netflix, which drops new originals multiple times per week.
Prime Video is also becoming a top player in Canada with series like The Boys, Upload, Invincible, The Wheel of Time and my personal favourite, Vox Machina. Prime Video recently held its inaugural Canadian event to spotlight 10 new Canadian originals. And it’s worth mentioning that Prime Video has access to all of its channels.
Since the last time I asked the question, two new players have also entered the Canadian market — Apple TV+ and Disney+.
Apple TV+ is the first streaming platform to win Best Picture for its original film CODA.Alongside CODA, Apple TV+ offers hit series and movies like Severance, See, After Party, The Morning Show and another personal favourite of mine, Ted Lasso.
Canada also has Disney+ with Star content (Hulu in the U.S.), which includes movies like The King’s Man, West Side Story and Fresh. There’s also content like The Kardashians, The Proud Family Louder and Prouder, Cruella, and other hit titles like Atlanta, Pose, How I Met Your Father and Modern Family. Disney+ is also the home of Marvel and Star Wars content like Moon Knight, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, Shang-Chi, The Book of Boba Fett, The Mandalorian, The Bad Batch and the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series.
While Canadians have access to these five big platforms, there are also other smaller streaming services like Crunchyroll, Hayu, OUTtv, CBC Gem, CBS All Access, DAZN, Shudder, Sportsnet Now and Tubi.
I’m personally subscribed to the big five streaming platforms and use each one for various movies and TV series. If I were to choose a favourite, I’d go with Disney+ because I love Disney movies like Turning Red and Encanto and originals like Star Wars: Visions and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. But don’t get me wrong, I’m also quite fond of Netflix and Crave.
Let us know in the comments below what your favourite video streaming service is. And if you’ve ever wondered what you should watch on the weekend, check out Brad Shankar’s weekly ‘Streaming in Canada‘ column where he highlights notable movies and series available on various services.
If you’ve been thinking about picking up an iRobot Roomba robot vacuum, now is the perfect chance.
Every iRobot Roomba, ranging from the high-end S9+ to the mid-range i3 EVO, is currently on sale. Even the recently released j7+ is currently $200 off.
iRobot says that this sale runs from Sunday, April 17th to Sunday, May 1st. For more on iRobot, check out my look at the surprisingly capable Roomba j7+.
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.
Every week, MobileSyrup outlines some of the most notable movies and TV shows that recently hit Canadian streaming platforms.
Our ‘Streaming in Canada’ column typically focuses on new content from Amazon Prime Video, Crave and Netflix, but other services like Apple TV+ and Disney+ will be mentioned when relevant. Premium video on demand (PVOD) platforms are also fair game as movies continue to come to digital early amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Finally, we’ll highlight shows or movies that are made by Canadian companies, involve notable Canadian cast or crew and/or are filmed in Canada.
Amazon Prime Video
Outer Range [Amazon Original]
After their daughter-in-law disappears, the Abbotts must contend with a supernatural mystery with ties to the family’s patriarch.
Outer Range was created by Brian Watkins (debut project) and stars Josh Brolin (True Grit), Lili Taylor (Six Feet Under), Toronto’s Tamara Podemski (Coroner) and Tom Pelphrey (Ozark).
Amazon Prime Video premiere date: April 15th, 2022 (first two episodes, new episodes every Friday) Genre: Mystery thriller Runtime: Eight episodes (around one hour each)
The full list of movies and shows hitting Prime Video this month can be found here.
This week in Amazon Prime Video news: Amazon held its first-ever “upfront” in Toronto to highlight upcoming Canadian Prime Video originals — here’s a full breakdown of the announcements.
Apple TV+
Roar [Apple Original]
Roar is an anthology series explores eight tales of women exploring gender roles, identity, autonomy and more.
Based on the eponymous book of short stories by Cecelia Ahern, Roar was created by Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch (GLOW) and stars Issa Rae (Insecure), Nicole Kidman (The Hours), Cynthia Erivo (Harriet), Merritt Wever (Nurse Jackie), Alison Brie (GLOW) and Betty Gilpin (GLOW).
Crave premiere date: April 15th, 2022 (all episodes) Genre: Anthology, dark comedy Runtime: Eight episodes (29 to 35 minutes each)
Showtime’s latest anthology series focuses on the personal and professional lives of the First Ladies of the United States.
The First Lady was created by Aaron Cooley (Best. Worst. Weekend. Ever.) and stars Viola Davis (How To Get Away With Murder) as Michelle Obama, O.T. Fagbenle (The Handmaid’s Tale) as Barack Obama, Michelle Pfeiffer (The Fabulous Baker Boys) as Betty Ford, Aaron Eckhart (The Dark Knight) as Gerald Ford, Gillian Anderson (The Crown) as Eleanor Roosevelt and Toronto’s Keifer Sutherland (24) as Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Crave premiere date: April 17th, 2022 (first episode, new episodes every Sunday) Genre: Biographical drama Runtime: Ten episodes (around one hour each)
After Laurie, her daughter and granddaughter fail to kill Michael Myers, they band together with the rest of Haddonfield to try to stop the killer once and for all.
Halloween Kills features returning Halloween series cast Jamie Lee Curtis (Laurie), Judy Greer (Karen), Andi Matichak (Allyson Nelson) and Kyle Richards (Lindsey Wallace), as well as Anthony Michael Hall (The Breakfast Club) and Dylan Arnold (You).
Original theatrical release date: October 15th, 2021
Crave premiere date: April 15th, 2022 Genre: Slasher Runtime: 1 hour, 45 minutes
A standard Crave subscription is priced at $19.99/month, with Starz costing an additional $5.99/month. A mobile-only subscription is also available for $9.99/month.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Crave this month can be found here.
Disney+
The Kardashians [Star Original]
Get an inside look at the Kardashian-Jenner family, including Kourtney, Kim, and Khloé Kardashian and half-sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Disney+ Canada this month can be found here.
Netflix
Anatomy of a Scandal [Netflix Original]
The wife of a powerful politician must contend with scandalous secrets surfacing once he’s accused of a shocking crime.
Based on Sarah Vaughan’s novel of the same name, Anatomy of a Scandal was developed by Vancouver’s Melissa James Gibson (House of Cards) and David E. Kelley (Big Little Lies) and stars Sienna Miller (American Sniper), Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey), Rupert Friend (Homeland) and Naomi Scott (Aladdin).
In an effort to win unclaimed prize money, two friends reboot a terrifying game from the ’80s.
Choose or Die was directed by Toby Meakins (Breathe) and stars Iola Evans (The 100), Asa Butterfield (Sex Education), Eddie Marsan (Ray Donovan) and Robert Englund (Nightmare on Elm Street).
Former U.S. President Barack Obama narrates this docuseries about some of Earth’s most spectacular parks, including those in the U.S., Indonesia and Kenya.
Netflix Canada premiere date: April 13th, 2022 Genre: Nature documentary Runtime: Five episodes (50 to 54 minutes each)
The full list of movies and shows hitting Netflix this month can be found here.
Premium video on demand (PVOD)
X
In 1979, a group of filmmakers rent out a guesthouse at a farm to shoot a pornographic film, but when their elderly hosts catch them in the act, they soon find themselves fighting for their lives.
X was written and directed by Ti West (In a Valley of Violence) and stars Mia Goth (Suspiria), Jenna Ortega (You), Martin Henderson (Grey’s Anatomy), Brittany Snow (Pitch Perfect series) and “Day ‘n’ Nite” rapper Kid Cudi (credited as Scott Mescudi).
It’s worth noting that Goth stars as both pornographic actress Maxine and elderly woman Pearl, the latter of whom she’s playing once again in an upcoming prequel film.
Original theatrical release date: March 18th, 2022
PVOD premiere date: April 14th, 2022 Genre: Slasher Runtime: 1 hour, 46 minutes
Twitter’s highly requested edit button is not officially available quite yet. However, reverse engineer Jane Manchun Wong has been able to break down its inner workings.
According to Wong, Twitter’s in-development edit buttons may leave a history of the tweet’s edits. Wong states that the edit feature is “immutable.” This would mean that when a tweet is edited, Twitter creates a brand new tweet, leaving previous versions intact in some capacity.
“Instead of mutating the Tweet text within the same Tweet (same ID), it re-creates a new Tweet with the amended content, along with the list of the old Tweets prior of that edit,” Manchun Wong says in her tweet.
Looks like Twitter’s approach to Edit Tweet is immutable, as in, instead of mutating the Tweet text within the same Tweet (same ID), it re-creates a new Tweet with the amended content, along with the list of the old Tweets prior of that edit
What this means for visibility on the user’s end is still unclear. Twitter could perhaps show records of a tweet’s edit and its previous versions. Many users and critics of the idea of an edit button have raised concerns over transparency. Showing records of a tweet could avoid the inevitable backlash if and when a tweet is edited to fix public records or mislead an audience. However, there’s also a chance that Twitter could avoid providing a visible history of edits altogether.
Alessandro Paluzzi, an app researcher, tweeted a screenshot showing the updated UI, which includes the ‘Edit Tweet’ feature. Apparently, the ability to edit a tweet is in the three-dot menu on the right side of an individual tweet. Hitting this button, users are lead to a screen to compose a tweet with the option to “Update” the original text. Paluzzi’s screenshots do not indicate whether an edit history will be available, though.
Users have been extremely vocal about wanting edit functionality on Twitter. The company first publicly announced the development of the feature on April Fool’s Day. The Twitter Comms account later followed up, clarifying that yes, the company is working on the feature. In fact, Twitter has “been working on an edit feature since last year,” the account states.
As for when an official rollout will kick off, it does appear to be further down the line. Twitter Blue subscribers are the first to gain access to the edit button “in the coming months.”
Evan Blass, infamously known for his accurate leaks and insider information, has shown new evidence regarding the Google Pixel Watch. The unannounced device has long been rumoured about. Blass shares a screenshot with a direct reference to its “Rohan” codename.
On Twitter, Blass shared an image with a broken JPG. The name referred to in the screenshot is “Google Pixel Rohan.” For quite some time now, rumours and previous reports pegged “Rohan” as the internal codename for Google’s Pixel smartwatch. Next to the Google Pixel Watch codename is another reference to the name along with the drop-down referring to Wear OS 3.1. “Won’t be long now,” Blass wrote in the tweet.
Blass has a great reputation for obtaining insider knowledge in tech. Given how reliable he has been in the past, this piece of evidence does join a growing pile pointing to the watch’s existence.
Google has been rumoured to have been working on the Pixel Watch for many years. However, over the more recent months, it’s become more clear that Google may be getting ready for an imminent reveal. In January, Jon Prosser claimed that a May 26th event will be held by Google. Here, the company may reveal the smartwatch.
According to reports, the Google Pixel Watch will run on a version of Google’s Wear OS 3. It’s interesting that the screenshot mentions Google Wear OS 3.1, even though OS 3.2 is available on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 series
Renders also indicate that it will feature a minimalist design with a slim, circular watch face. It’s likely to feature a crown on the side. Much like the Apple Watch, Google may look into an assortment of proprietary watch bands as well.
There have also been talks that the Pixel Watch features a next-gen iteration of Google Assistant. Mentions of “PIXEL_EXPERIENCE_WATCH” have been found, leading to assumptions it supports proprietary Android features.
There’s still no firm confirmation that Google will unveil the Google Pixel Watch in May. However, as the evidence continues to flow in, there is more of a reason to be excited about the possibilities.
WhatsApp is starting to test its new hide ‘Last Seen’ status option. Beta testers are now able to hide their status from specific contacts as a part of the company’s new privacy setting.
Those with access to beta version 22.9.0.70 on iOS will be the first to try out the feature. Reports indicate that the feature is live. Once accessible, users can navigate to the ‘Privacy’ setting. In the ‘Last Seen’ option, users can select between ‘Everyone,’ ‘My Contacts,’ ‘Nobody,’ and the newly implemented ‘My Contacts Except…’
As the report clarifies, users do not have to set the status to ‘Nobody’ if the status is disabled due to certain contacts. Additionally, when you block contacts from seeing your ‘Last Seen’ status on WhatsApp, you won’t be able to see theirs. WhatsApp is reportedly aiming to implement the same option for a user’s “profile picture” and “about” information.
This same feature was introduced on Android a few weeks ago. Beta testers on iOS now have access to the same privacy settings. Though, of course, access to beta version 22.9.0.70 through TestFlight is required.
It’s worth noting that more beta testers will gain access to the feature as time goes on. WhatsApp will likely increase the number of testers throughout the next few days.
The introduction of the ‘Last Seen’ privacy setting is the latest new feature from WhatsApp. Recently, WhatsApp added the ability to react to messages with emojis. Currently, the feature is limited in scope with only a handful of emojis available. However, future updates in the pipeline aim to implement Communities and support 2GB file sharing. However, it’s still unclear when these features will be accessible.
Microsoft is looking into ways to introduce ads within free-to-play Xbox titles. The program, according to sources from Business Insider, aims to fold advertisements into games in a non-disruptive way.
Apparently, Microsoft wishes to include ads to help provide revenue for both the game developer and ad company. As such, Microsoft is not taking a cut from the ad revenue and instead allows the two parties to share the ad funds.
As for what this program will end up looking like, a lot still remains. The report claims that Microsoft is working to give “select brands” the ability to purchase ad space. These ads will then appear in free-to-play Xbox games. However, the company appears to be very aware of how players may react. Thus Microsoft and Xbox are investigating ways to not “irritate” players.
Theoretically, these ads could appear as billboards in a racing game or in an open-world title. Though, the full extent of how this program will implement ads is still relatively unknown. Likewise, it’s not known if the ads will be static images and logos or if video ads will run in-game. However, Business Insider did confirm that Microsoft will not be using collected data from Bing or other services to create targeted ads.
Microsoft may be moving swiftly on this program. The company could introduce it as early as Q3 2022. Though, it’s not confirmed whether Xbox has begun pitching advertisers on the program yet.
Microsoft and the Xbox ecosystem are not exactly strangers to presenting ads. Any console player booting up their Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S is immediately met with ads on the dashboard. These typically promote games, new movies, services, etc. However, given that Microsoft is creating a more “private marketplace” for ads within games, it’ll be interesting to see how it targets the gaming audience specifically.
Fortunately, this initiative will solely be focused on free-to-play titles. Publishers who attempted to implement ads into full-priced games, like EA, have received backlash in the past. UFC 4 saw an outpour of player criticisms as unskippable ads were featured in a $70 game. Meta also added in-game ads to Blaston, which again, wasn’t received well by players.
