Author: Mobile Syrup

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Mobile Syrup

Samsung Galaxy A33 and A13 budget phones leak

Details surrounding Samsung’s Galaxy A33 and A13 budget smartphones has leaked online, including official-looking renders.

According to Winfuture, Samsung Galaxy A33 will reportedly come 5G-ready and sport an Exynos 1220 processor with 6GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage, a 4,000mAh battery, and come 5G-ready.

Additionally, its 6.4-inch display sports a 2400 x 1080 pixel resolution, 90Hz refresh rate and a camera notch.

The A13, on the other hand, features a 6.6-inch LCD display with a 2408 x1080 pixel resolution and a notch. The smartphone also features an Exynos 850 chip, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and a 5,000mAh battery.

The leak indicates that the A13 will sport slightly different specs in the U.S. and Canada if it launches here. Further, the phone will likely only feature 5G in the U.S. and LTE in Canada.

It’s possible that both of these phones could launch here in the coming weeks. Last year, the Galaxy A32 and A12 both made their way to Canada following their release in other regions.

Image credit: Winfuture

Source: Winfuture

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Mobile Syrup

Links to Russian state-owned media now unconditionally banned on Reddit

Reddit is going one step further in its effort to curb misinformation and propaganda relating to the current conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

The San Francisco-based discussion website announced today that it has banned users from posting links to any Russian state-supported media outlets. The rule doesn’t apply to a specific subreddit and instead covers the whole website, and applies to all users globally.

Links to the state-run television network RT and Sputnik were recently banned by several subreddit mods to safeguard their communities; however, today’s change implies that the rule now encompasses all of Reddit.

In its announcement post, Reddit also clearly stated that it will not allow any advertisements that “target Russia or originate from any Russia-based entity, government or private” on its platform.

This comes soon after Reddit “quarantined” (shadowbanned) the r/Russia and r/RussiaPolitics subreddits because of misinformation arising from them. As of right now, visiting the quarantined subreddit shows a message, stating “This Community contains a high volume of information not supported by credible sources,” as seen in the screenshot below:

While other social media platforms have also taken strict measures against Russian state-run broadcasting, like YouTube blocking RT from earning ad revenue, or Meta blocking Sputnik in EU and Ukraine, Reddit’s move today formally abolishes the presence of said media from its platform globally.

“This is a live situation, and our response is evolving every day as we gain new information. The measures above are not a complete or final list of what we’re doing, but we hope it provides some insight into our efforts right now,” reads the company’s blog post. “Reddit, at its core, is about community, and we will continue to do whatever we can to ensure that our platform remains available for people to connect, support each other, access reliable information, and express their authentic opinions and feelings during this difficult time.”

Image credit: Reddit

Source: Reddit

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Mobile Syrup

This $300,000 electric boat will be available this spring in Canada

Electric vehicles are fast gaining popularity. 3.5 percent of all vehicles registered in Canada in 2020 were electric or plug-in hybrid cars. Similarly, public transport authorities are spending millions to acquire electric busses. The Toronto Port Authority-owned Marilyn Bell I has transitioned to Canada’s first zero-emission, lithium-ion electric ferry and Montreal-based Taiga is out with its electric jet skis and snowmobiles.

Now, electric boat startup Arc, which last year raised $30 million ($38 million CAD) in funding from the likes of Will Smith, Kevin Durant and Diddy has come out with images of its pre-production electric Arc One, via The Verge.

The 24-foot boat is scheduled to be delivered to its first few owners this summer, and is currently available to reserve for $1000 (roughly $1,270 CAD). Note: The boat costs $300,000 (roughly $380,000 CAD), and the $1,000 is just to reserve your spot on its waitlist.

The electric boat is powered by an in-house developed 220kWh battery pack and can push out 500horsepower. For reference, the long-range Tesla Model 3 has an 82kWh battery. Further, the boat maxes out at 40 miles per hour (64.37 kilometres per hour).

The Arc One runs for about four hours on a full charge, and charges overnight with a standard 240V charger. A full charge costs anywhere between $10 to $20.

The boat can seat 10 to 12 people, and sports amenities like speakers, wireless phone chargers, a swimming platform and space for luggage/gear storage.

According to the company, the Arc One will be a premium, exclusive and limited edition electric boat that will be available this summer to those on its waitlist. Arc plans to use the revenue from the sales to develop future models, including affordable options.

The Arc One is available to purchase in Canada and the United States for $300,000 (roughly $380,000 CAD). Learn more about the vessel or reserve it here.

Image credit: Arc

Via: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

Twitch updates its policy to ban bad actors that spread misinformation

Earlier today, Twitch updated its Spam, Scams and Malicious Conduct Policy to prohibit people who spread misinformation from using the streaming service. According to the San Francisco-based company, this change only affects streamers, not the viewers. The update has solely been put in place to ban bad actors “whose online presence is dedicated to spreading harmful, false information.”

The streaming service says that it won’t ban one-off cases, and instead will focus on people who use the platform to spread false propaganda deliberately. According to Twitch, said bad actors have three characteristics:

  1. They persistently share false information
  2. They share information that has been widely disproven
  3. They share information that can be harmful, like conspiracies that promote violence.

Twitch will only ban those streamers who meet all the above-mentioned criteria. “We’re proud that Twitch can bring people together – but we do not believe that individuals who use online services to spread false, harmful information, have a place in our community,” reads Twitch’s blog post. “While these individuals are not prevalent on Twitch, they could cause significant harm if allowed on our service.”

Misinformation isn’t rampant on Twitch, and according to the company, the update in its policy comes as a precautionary measure. It’s likely that  Twitch foresees misinformation about the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine ending up on its platform, and wants to be ready to tackle it.

Further, Twitch has already started taking action, and has banned channels that have historically spread misinformation, including one channel that urged its viewers to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

The rule covers streamers spreading misinformation off Twitch as well, such as through their social media presence. If you see someone violating the new policy, you can report it to Twitch at OSIT@twitch.tv with supporting evidence.

In other Twitch-related news, the company recently launched a new program that aims to help streamers earn a reliable monthly income. If you want to try your hand at streaming, check out this guide; just make sure you don’t break the company’s new policy.

Source: Twitch 

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Mobile Syrup

Here are Nvidia’s GeForce Now additions for March

Nvidia has announced the 27 new games it will be adding to its GeForce Now cloud streaming service over the course of March 2022.

Check out games releasing this week below and scroll further to check titles releasing later in March:

Released or releasing this week

  • ELEX II (New release on Steam)
  • FAR: Changing Tides (New release on Steam)
  • Shadow Warrior 3 (New release on Steam)
  • AWAY: The Survival Series (Epic Games Store)
  • Labyrinthine Dreams (Steam)
  • Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion (Steam)
  • TROUBLESHOOTER: Abandoned Children (Steam)
  • The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (Epic Games Store)

Releasing later in March

  • Buccaneers! (New release on Steam, March 7)
  • Ironsmith Medieval Simulator (New release on Steam, March 9)
  • Distant Worlds 2 (New release on Steam, March 10)
  • Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame 5 (New release on Steam, March 17)
  • The Settlers (New release on Ubisoft Connect, March 17)
  • Syberia: The World Before (New release on Steam and Epic Games Store, March 18)
  • Lumote: The Mastermote Chronicles (New release on Steam, March 24)
  • Turbo Sloths (New release on Steam, March 30)
  • Blood West (Steam)
  • Bus Driver Simulator (Steam)
  • Conan Chop Chop (Steam)
  • Dread Hunger (Steam)
  • Fury Unleashed (Steam)
  • Hundred Days – Winemaking Simulator (Steam)
  • The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II (Steam)
  • Martha is Dead (Steam and Epic Games Store)
  • Power to the People (Steam)
  • Project Zomboid (Steam)
  • Rugby 22 (Steam)

Nvidia’s cloud gaming service offers two membership options. The first is the free route that gives you standard access to the platform with a one-hour limit per session. Once the hour passes, you can queue again to get another hour of free gaming in, although you may have to wait a while.

The paid membership option gives you priority access to gaming servers without any session length limit. This subscription costs $12.99/month or $64.99 for six months.

Learn more about Nvidia GeForce Now and its subscription options here.

Image credit: Nvidia

Source: Nvidia

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Mobile Syrup

Trivia Quest is Netflix’s upcoming daily interactive series

After gaining success from its interactive programming like Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and You vs. Wild, Netflix is preparing to launch its next interactive series, and this time it’s a Trivia game.

Trivia Quest releases on April 1st, with new episodes airing every day for the month of April, each featuring 24 questions — 12 standard and 12 complex.

The series, which was inspired by Etermax’s Trivia Crack will question viewers across categories like science, history, entertainment, sports, art and geography in a multiple-choice question format (four options).

Trivia Quest isn’t just a plain trivia game, and rather has a full-blown narrative to keep you hooked. You play the role of animated hero Willy, who, by answering Trivia questions, can free his super-smart animated friends from ‘bad guy Rocky,’ who wants to hoard all the knowledge for himself. Users have the option to replay trivia quizzes to earn points they might have missed out on and help Willy release his friends faster.

“At certain milestones, the kidnapped characters are released from Rocky’s dungeons, with exclusive animations inspired by Netflix favourites,” reads Netflix’s blog post about the series. “Each quiz also features a definitive ending but we don’t want to tell you too much about that just yet. You’ll have to play to see.”

Image credit: Netflix

Source: Netflix

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Mobile Syrup

Innovation Minister takes vocal stance against Shaw transferring wireless licences to Rogers

Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne says he won’t allow Shaw to transfer its wireless licenses to Rogers if the merger of the two companies is approved.

“The wholesale transfer of Shaw’s wireless licences to Rogers is fundamentally incompatible with our government’s policies for spectrum and mobile service competition, and I will simply not permit it,” he said in a statement.

Champagne says Canadians are concerned about the merger and what it will mean for the telecom sector, concerns he shares as well. As minister, Champagne says he’s committed to competition and cellphone affordability.

The Globe and Mail reported the industry and technology committee tabled a report asking Champagne to reject the merger if Rogers doesn’t agree to sell wireless licenses owned by Shaw, including Freedom Mobile. The committee last met Tuesday in an in-camera meeting. These meetings are closed to the public.

In order for the merger to go through, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), the Competition Bureau, and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) need to provide approval.

Source: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

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Mobile Syrup

Apple patent shows periscope camera design possibly for iPhone or an AR headset

Apple filed a new patent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a new “folded” camera system that could enable higher zoom capabilities.

Spotted by Patently Apple (via iPhone in Canada), the patent outlines what’s described as a folded camera system that uses a prism or mirrors to bend light at a 90° angle. If that sounds familiar, it’s because the tech isn’t exactly new — commonly called ‘periscope cameras,’ the tech is common in several smartphones as a way to include more advanced lens systems for telephoto cameras that otherwise wouldn’t fit in a smartphone.

Moreover, Patently Apple explains that the described folded camera system would use lenses with adjustable positions, allowing for variable magnification. That would be a particularly interesting addition since most smartphone cameras use fixed lenses and rely on software to handle magnification, which often results in degraded image quality.

Finally, the patent makes it clear that the folded camera tech could make it into more than just a future iPhone, with possible applications being personal computer systems, handheld computers, set-top boxes, mobile devices, augmented reality and/or virtual reality headsets, and more.

Overall, it sounds like Apple has plans for a fairly robust camera system. That said, and as with any patent, it’s worth keeping in mind that it might not appear in any actual products. Many companies (and especially Apple) like to patent designs they might use, even if they never actually use them.

However, it’d be neat to see Apple’s take on a periscope-style camera in an iPhone, and how it’d stack up to existing periscope cameras on the market already.

Source: USPTO Via: Patently Apple

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Mobile Syrup

Telus rolls out first phase of next-generation 911 service in B.C. and Alberta

Telus is rolling out next-generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) in British Columbia and Alberta.

NG9-1-1 enhances technological possibilities by sharing more precise location data, video, photos, and other information with first responders.

“In an emergency, every second counts, and information is critical. Bringing this next-generation technology to the people of Alberta and B.C. will save lives, and that is something that we at Telus are very proud to support,” Jerome Birot, vice president of voice and services development opportunities, said in a statement.

Telecom companies will implement the next generation in phases.

For now, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has directed all phone and cell service companies to update their networks, so they’re ready to provide services associated with NG9-1-1.

The CRTC will set a later date to implement text messaging services for NG9-1-1 calls.

Telus also says it’s working on creating a state-of-the-art IP-based NG9-1-1 network. The company notes the additional traffic of document and video sharing will be “strategically and cautiously loaded” onto the network when completed.

“Of the more than 5.5 million calls received to Telus’ 9-1-1 selective routers in 2020, not a single call was dropped, and we knew we could take this network leadership to new heights with NG9-1-1 and provide enhanced service to the citizens of Alberta and B.C.,” Birot said.

Source: Telus

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Mobile Syrup

HTC is working on a high-end ‘metaverse’ smartphone

In 2018, HTC sold most of its smartphone business to Google but didn’t officially give up on selling handsets. Previously, the company started selling blockchain phones like Exodus 1, but now the phone-maker is pivoting to the “metaverse.”

HTC told DigiTimes at MWC 2022 this week about its plans to launch a high-end metaverse phone.

Additionally, the company showed off a demo of an animated virtual world that it calls Viverse, according to Cher Wang the chairwoman of a virtual reality maker HTC. Wang said that it would be a safe and secure environment for kids and adults alike.

The metaverse is a broad term that refers to shared virtual world environments which people can access through the internet. These virtual terms are made more lifelike via virtual and augmented reality. HTC has its own lineup of virtual reality headsets under the Vive brand, so it already has a foot in the game in a sense.

The handset is set to launch later this April.

Source: Digitimes Via: Venturebeat, XDA Developers