Author: Mobile Syrup

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Mobile Syrup

Here are BrandSpark’s ‘Best New Product Awards: Tech Edition’ winners

Leading market research firm BrandSpark, in partnership with MobileSyrup, has revealed the results of its ‘Best New Product Awards: Tech Edition’ consumer survey.

All of the tech products included in the list are selected from the various devices revealed at the 2022 Consumer Electronics (CES). The program is 100 percent consumer-voted by polling category shoppers and those currently evaluating in-market products in each category. Consumers vote on appeal, design, features, degree of innovation, relevance, purchase intent, and anticipated performance vs. competition.

Through this list, Brandspark and MobileSyrup aim to help readers navigate the rapidly changing world of consumer tech more easily, whether they’re looking for the best computer monitor around (Samsung’s 55-inch Odyssey Ark) or a killer Chromebook (Acer Chromebook 315).

BrandSpark says its inaugural awards included a sample size of over 15,000 Canadians.

Below is the full list of winners:

Winners

Wearables glasses: TCL Nxtwear Air
Robot Vacuum: Ecovacs Deebot X1 Omni
Projector: The Freestyle from Samsung
Platform Gaming Accessories: PlayStation VR 2
Smart Faucet: Moen Smart Faucet with Motion Control
Smart Bed: All-new 360 Smart Bed
Projector: Nebula Cosmos Laser 4K Projector
Computer Monitor: Samsung 55-inch Odyssey Ark, Samsung Odyssey Neo G8, LG DualUp Monitor, Samsung M8
Smart Kitchen Appliance: LG Instaview Double Oven Gas Slide-in Range
Gaming Laptop: Alienware X14
Hearing Aid: Eargo 6
Health Tracker: The Movano Ring
Smart Security: Eufy Security Video Doorbell Dual
TV: Sony A95K QD-OLED, Samsung Neo QLED WN900B, Samsung the Frame
Webcam/Microphone: AnkerWork B600 Video Bar
Chromebook: Asus Chomebook Flip CX5
Personal Laptop: Lenovo Thinkbook Plus Gen 3
Smart Security: Ring Glass Break Sensor, Schlage Encode Plus Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt
Laptop Riser: Kensington Surface Laptop Riser
Cordless Vacuum: Samsung Bespoke Jet
A/V Switching System: Roland AeroCaster
Tablet: Samsung Galaxy Tab S8
Gaming Headset: JBL Quantum TWS, HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless
Chromebook: Acer Chromebook 315

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Mobile Syrup

YouTube updates its music app to help users discover new artists

After testing a new ‘Add to Playlist’ interface for the YouTube Music smartphone app, Google has now improved the radio algorithm for the music streaming app, which will result in better recommendations for users and help users discover new artists.

According to the YouTube Music team, the “back-end logic that nominates the music that shows up” in Song Radio and playlist auto mixes has been updated to show more songs and artists. Since making the change to the radio algorithm, YouTube says that it has observed an increase in likes and song discovery from Song Radio and playlist auto mixes, with the team aiming to polish the algorithm further down the road.

In addition, YouTube also details how Android YouTube Music users would now be able to save a queue of songs to a new or existing playlist. This feature has been available to YouTube Music iOS users since January.

Other changes and improvements listed by YouTube include a new ‘Family Shelf’ with programmed playlists and a personalized Family Mix. If you usually listen to music that’s appropriate for the whole family, you’ll now be able to access a new ‘For the Family’ shelf with the Family mix as the first playlist available on your home feed.

Additionally, on Wear OS, YouTube Music now allows you to shuffle your downloaded music, unlike in the past when users were limited to ordered album play and could only shuffle playlists.

Lastly, YouTube premium subscribers on the web would now be able to switch between audio and video for the music they are listening to with a toggle available on top of the player screen. This feature has long been available on Android and iOS and is finally available to YouTube Music web users.

There are a few more changes and upgrades that Google made to YouTube Music.

Source: Google

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Mobile Syrup

Rural TV service provider concerned Rogers won’t honour contract once merger with Shaw is finalized

The Canadian Communication Systems Alliance (CCSA) wants the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to stop Rogers from shutting down the satellite delivery of television signals it receives from Shaw.

In a press release, CCSA says Shaw delivers TV signals to rural and Northern cable companies with no other way of accessing them.

A critical component of the delivery is HITS-QT Plus, an essential program for operators who use satellite signals.

At the Rogers-Shaw hearing the CRTC held in November, Rogers told the CCSA they would maintain the service, Jay Thomson, CCSA’s CEO, said. The CRTC added it would hold Rogers to account.

But not long ago, Shaw said HITS-QT would shut down, according to a press release from the CCSA says. The move threatens to shut down TV services for 10,000 rural and Northern Canadians across 30 communities.

The news of the shutdown was shared “just prior” to the CRTC’s decision to approve the Rogers-Shaw merger.

In that decision, the CRTC ruled Rogers must honour all contracts it inherits from Shaw, and now the CCSA is worried promises to maintain the service won’t be a part of it.

“We call on the CRTC to honour its commitment to keep Rogers from allowing that to happen,” Thomson said. “Otherwise, thousands of rural and Northern Canadians could be deprived of television service in a matter of months.”

MobileSyrup has reached out to Rogers and the CRTC for comment and will provide an update once available.

Source: CCSA

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Mobile Syrup

Twitter acquires OpenBack to improve its notifications

Twitter has acquired mobile platform OpenBack to improve its notification system and to keep users coming back to its app.

Twitter’s head of consumer product Jay Sullivan also wrote, “OpenBack and their talented team joining Twitter will help us improve our ability to deliver the right notifications at the right time, in a way that puts people’s privacy first.”

OpenBack, founded in 2015, aims to make apps more engaging through on-device control of push notifications. The platform allows apps to process data on devices — like other push notifications — instead of a third-party server.

OpenBack will shut down officially on April 19th. The developers at OpenBack will join Twitter’s Bluebird product team.

The end goal is to use more dynamic notifications to improve Twitter’s level of engagement and draw in its user base.

Source: @jaysullivan Via: Engadget 

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Mobile Syrup

Hasbro and Robosen announce premium self-transforming Optimus Prime trailer

Autobots rejoice.

Hasbro and Robosen have announced a new supplemental piece to add to your collection. After releasing a 19-inch self-transforming Optimus Prime robot, the two companies are releasing a self-transforming trailer.

The Transformers Optimus Prime auto-converting trailer can open up, transform and supports a miniature vehicle that can roll off its ramp. The trailer has a design pulled from the G1-era of the franchise and attaches to the auto-converting Optimus Prime model.

Plus, it measures in at 3ft in length.

Other unique features of the trailer include auto-deploying turrets — perfect for fighting Decepticons. It can use its hydraulics to lift and detach itself from Optimus Prime as well as open its rear doors.

When attached to the leader of the Autobots, the trailer can be towed around seamlessly. The listing states that the trailer features an integrated fifth-wheel coupling. This coupling easily attaches when it is operating in truck mode.

60 microchips and 18 individual servo motors powers the Optimus Prime auto-converting trailer. From a power perspective, it features a rechargeable Lithium Cell Battery (2600mAh.) Users will want to take full advantage of the Robosen Optimus Prime mobile app on iOS and Android to tap into all of its features. With a smartphone, users can control the miniature vehicle and trailer. Voice commands are also present.

If this new Optimus Prime trailer sounds up your alley, prepare to invest a premium for it. As with Optimus Prime, the trailer also runs $750 USD (roughly $950 CAD.) Preorders are available now. The estimated delivery of the trailer is set for December 1st, 2022. Note that the website states the product is not available to ship to Quebec.

As Transformers played a major impact on my childhood, it’s hard to not jump on both of these items. Though, the price tag is remarkably steep and may be hard to swallow.

Source: Robosen Via: The Verge

Image credit: Robosen

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Mobile Syrup

PlayStation Network just went down, but service has since been restored

Sony’s PlayStation Network (PSN) went down briefly on Tuesday night, but service has since been restored.

For about an hour, the PSN status page showed that all services were experiencing some sort of issues, including online play and accessing the PlayStation Store. Fortnite maker Epic Games also tweeted that people were unable to log in to its battle royale game on PlayStation.

Now, however, Sony’s status page says “all services are up and running.” It’s unclear exactly what caused these issues or how widespread they were, but everything appears to be going smoothly now. In any case, it’s worth keeping in mind if you happen to run into any issues while gaming today.

Image credit: Sony

Via: Epic Games

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Mobile Syrup

Virgin Plus removes several limited-time offers, hikes its $30 plan by $1 a month

Virgin Plus has removed several limited-time options from its website.

Bell’s flanker brand allows customers to get plans in two categories: new phone purchases or bring your own phone.

Under the ‘bringing your own phone’ option, there’s a value plan and a starter plan.

The cheapest value plan used to start at $26 a month and offered pay-per-use data. Virgin Plus listed the offer as limited-time but has now removed it from its website.

Virgin has also removed various other limited-time options:

  • 6GB data for $39/month
  • 10GB data for $44/month
  • 12GB data for $48/month

The company has also increased its regular pay-per-use data offering from $30 a month to $31.

The only limited-time option active under this section is the $55 10GB data plan. Also listed as a limited-time option, the plan offers 8GB of data, plus a 2GB bonus.

The ‘getting a new phone’ side also offered a $26 a month plan, but that also appears to have been removed.

You can check out Virgin’s plans here.

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Mobile Syrup

Apple AR headset may have been delayed until 2023, according to analyst

Apple has remained silent on its rumoured augmented reality (AR) headset. However, we may be waiting even longer to get our hands on the device.

Haitong International Securities analyst Jeff Pu has suggested that Apple’s AR headset has faced a delay, pushing it into 2023. The iPhone maker hasn’t suggested any info regarding its headset, though corroborated reports indicate that a late-2022 launch was being internally targeted.

In addition to the delay, Pu believes that Apple will sell an estimated 1 million to 1.5 million units within its first year of launch. The analyst goes on to discuss that the AR headset’s in-house chip will help set it apart from other competitors on the market. Previous reports state that Apple will utilize its M1 chip in some capacity to power the headset.

Apple has not revealed the specs or the design of the headset. However, reports indicate that it features a lightweight design made for comfort. The Apple AR headset may also feature two 4K micro-LED displays. Of course, with that comes a steep price. Many believe that the AR headset will come with a premium $2,000 USD (about $2,525 CAD) price tag.

Pu’s claims of the delay are corroborated by a recent report from Ross Young. The analyst discussed that virtual reality (VR) display shipments are rising by 50 percent in 2022, although Sony and Apple are experiencing delays with their headsets. Young believes both the Apple headset and PSVR 2 have been quietly delayed to 2023.

Neither Pu nor Young has confirmed the cause of the delay. However, given how hardware shipments have been continuously delayed throughout the pandemic, supply chain issues may be the cause.

There’s no indication of when Apple may reveal its AR headset given this reported delay. Given that a 2023 launch is now expected, perhaps a fall announcement is in the cards.

Via: GSM Arena

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Mobile Syrup

Twitter shareholder hits Elon Musk with lawsuit over his investment

Tesla CEO Elon Musk became Twitter’s largest shareholder in the past few weeks, then decided to join Twitter’s board of directors and not join the board directors about six days later. Now, a Twitter shareholder has filed a class-action lawsuit against Musk over his delay in disclosing his investment in Twitter to the SEC.

Musk was required by law to file paperwork with the SEC by March 24th when his stake in Twitter grew five percent, but he didn’t until April 4th. Now, he’s being sued for $156 million USD (roughly $197 million CAD).

“Investors who sold shares of Twitter stock between March 24, 2022, when Musk was required to have disclosed his Twitter ownership, and before the actual April 4, 2022 disclosure, missed the resulting share price increase as the market reacted to Musk’s purchases and were damaged thereby,” the lawsuit states.

The shareholder who made the suit says he and others “sold shares of Twitter at artificially deflated prices during the class period, and has been damaged by the revelation of the Musk’s material misrepresentations and material omissions.” Further, the shareholder and the class “would not have sold Twitter’s securities at the price sold, or at all, if they had been aware that the market prices had artificially and falsely deflated by Defendant’s misleading statements.”

This has been a strange past few weeks for Twitter and Musk. The co-founder of Tesla also recently polled his follers on Twitter asking whether the company should change its name, asked about an edit button and more.

Twitter CEO Parag Agarwal states that he believes that Musk not joining the Twitter board was for the best.

Source: Marc Bain Rasella v Musk, Engadget

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Mobile Syrup

Anker 757 Powerhouse offers 1,500W of power as the company’s largest battery pack

Anker has revealed its largest battery pack to date. The Anker 757 Powerhouse weighs 43 pounds (19.5 kg) and offers 1,500W to charge and power an assortment of devices, appliances, and more.

The Anker 757 Powerhouse is described by the company as the “longest-lasting portable power station.” When taking a look at its specs, it’s easy to see how it came to that conclusion. Alongside its 1,500W of power, the 757 Powerhouse has 1,229Wh of capacity. Putting it into relative terms, the 757 Powerhouse can charge a smartphone 97 times on a charge. Alternatively, it can power a portable fridge for up to 22 hours. This is thanks to its Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) battery.

LiFePO4 supports faster charging and is a safer alternative to standard lithium-ion battery packs currently available. With its HyperFlash technology, Anker claims the 757 Powerhouse can recharge to 80 percent in one hour. Anker states that competitive brands take nearly five and a half hours for the same results.

In terms of its ports, the 757 Powerhouse supports four USB-A ports at 12W each. It also features a trio of three-prong outlets alongside its three two-prong outlets. A USB-C port can also be found as well as a car lighter socket.

However, despite its advantages, the 757 Powerhouse has one distinct disadvantage and that is its size. This beefy unit comes in at 43.8 pounds (19.9 kg) and is considerably larger than its other Powerhouse units.

According to Anker, the 757 offers 3,000 battery cycles and 50,000 hours of electronic life expectancy. The company also includes a 5-year warranty with the purchase of the battery pack. For comparison, many competitors offer a two-year standard warranty.

In terms of pricing, the Anker 757 Powerhouse battery pack is available for $1,399 USD (roughly $1,771 CAD.)

Source: Anker Via: The Verge

Image credit: Anker