Author: Mobile Syrup

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Mobile Syrup

Microsoft’s ‘Deals with Gold’ sale offers games up to 75 percent off

Microsoft’s weekly Deals with Gold sale is offering games like Vampyr, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and Call of Cthulu at a discounted rate.

This week, Microsoft is offering discounts of up to 75 percent off on a variety of Xbox games.

Xbox Deals with Gold sale is only available with an Xbox Gold Live membership. A 12-month Xbox Live Gold membership costs $69.99. If you have Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (which costs $16.99 per month), the service also includes Xbox Live Gold and EA Play subscriptions.

Image credit: Square Enix 

Source: Microsoft

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Mobile Syrup

Canadians want more competition in the telecom sector, survey shows

It’s no secret Canadians pay some of the highest cell phone bills in the world.

A report submitted to Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada examining the costs of wireless services in 2020 showed Canada offered some of the steepest price tags, coming in second to Japan.

Source: Wall Communications Inc.

Data is collected and compared for Canada, the U.S, Australia, the U.K, France, Italy, Germany and Japan. Level 1 refers to plans with 450 minutes of talk and 300 text only. Level 2 refers to 1GB of data a month and doesn’t include talk or text. The remaining levels include unlimited talk and text with specific data limits. All figures are in Canadian dollars.

In 2020, Canadians using plans with 2-4GB of data and unlimited talk and text were paying 64 percent more than those in the U.K using the same plan.

For years Canadians have asked for change. A recent survey by Ipsos shows that ask has not waivered.

The market research company surveyed 1,001 Canadians over 18 on how they felt about competition in various Canadian markets.

88 percent of survey respondents want more competition across several sectors because they believe it’s too easy for big businesses to take advantage of Canadians.

90 percent of the respondents said steps need to be taken so smaller businesses can compete with more prominent players and create more choices for Canadians, leading to lower prices, better quality products, and more innovation.

The telecommunications and cable industries need the most competition, with 72 percent of the vote.

The results aren’t surprising given the lack of competition in Canada. According to the 2020 Communications Market Report from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), Bell, Telus, and Rogers (known as the Big Three) represented almost 90 percent of mobile phone revenues in 2020.

The Big Three are continuing a historical trend. They appear in this category for results released in 2017, 2018 and 2019. 

Only 28 percent of respondents say there’s enough competition in the telecom and cable sectors.

Source: Ipsos

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Mobile Syrup

UBF project bringing 136 households in Ontario high-speed internet

Dozens of households near North Bay, Ontario, will soon have access to high-speed internet thanks to an investment by the federal government.

Nearly $556,000 will help connect 136 households in rural communities by North Bay. The funding is coming through the Universal Broadband Fund (UBF) Rapid Response Stream.

The announcement builds on the government’s goal to expand high-speed internet to 98 percent of the population by 2026. Canada’s Connectivity Strategy hopes to provide Canadians with download speeds of at least 50Mbps and upload speeds of at least 10Mbps.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that high-speed internet is an absolute necessity for all Canadians, including people in the North Bay area. This project will allow more residents to have access to reliable high-speed internet so that they can work, learn and keep in touch with their loved ones from home,” Anthony Rota, MP for Nipissing–Timiskaming, said in a statement.

“Access to high-speed internet is critical for economic development and for our region’s overall recovery from the pandemic as it allows small businesses to serve customers from anywhere in the world.”

139 projects have been supported through the UBF so far, providing 79,000 households in remote communities access to high-speed internet.

MobileSyrup has created a map outlining the locations of the projects. You can access the map here.

Source: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada 

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Mobile Syrup

You can get two 10-inch Facebook Portals for $128 [Limited Time]

Facebook has discounted the cost of its 10-inch Portal Smart Display from its regular $249 price tag to $99 on its web store.

What’s even better is that if you purchase two of them, you end up paying only $69 per smart display. This deal is active till the 20th of February.

Normally, you would be paying $498 for two portals, but with the sale, you only pay $198, and with the added discount if you purchase two, you pay only $128 for the pair. The discount is added automatically at checkout if you have two Portals in your cart.

The 10-inch Portal smart display allows users to easily video call with friends and family using Messenger and WhatsApp, even if they don’t have a portal and can double as a photo frame for your favourite photos.

The devices also feature Alexa built-in, which will let you control your smart home, listen to music, watch the news and more. The display features a 13-megapixel built-in camera with a 103-degree field-of-view

The Portal sports front-porting stereo speakers, a rear woofer, and a four-mic array to capture sound, which, along with the camera, can be disabled with a dedicated button.

 

The 10-inch Portal is available in Black and White for $99 each or $128 for a pair here.

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.

Image credit: Facebook

Source: Facebook

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Mobile Syrup

Twitter expands ‘Safety Mode’ feature to half of all Canadian accounts

Twitter is expanding its Safety Mode feature to mark ‘Safer Internet Day.’

Accounts using this feature allow Twitter to auto-block profiles tweeting harmful language and unwanted interactions for seven days, and accounts a user follows and interacts with aren’t blocked.

Auto-blocked accounts can’t follow the account in Safety Mode, see their tweets, or send direct messages.

The account owner in Safety Mode can undo any auto-block before the seven days end.

“Potentially spammy behaviour impacts otherwise healthy conversations and looks like Tweeting repetitive content, sending unsolicited mentions [or] replies, using unrelated hashtags to get attention, and or following indiscriminately,” Twitter says on its website.

Initially announced in September 2021, the feature was only available to a small group of users on iOS, Android and Twitter’s website.

The feature is now available to half of all account holders in Canada. The same goes for the U.S, U.K, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

Safer Internet Day promotes online technology and mobile phones in a safe and responsible manner.

Twitter is also participating in other activities, such as hosting chats through Twitter Spaces, to mark the day.

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Mobile Syrup

Peloton reveals plans to lay off 2,800 employees in a bid to cut costs

Peloton is in the process of laying off roughly 2,800 of its workers as John Foley, the fitness company’s 10-year CEO, steps down in a bid to make up for its lost valuation, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

The company’s stock price, which boomed during the height of the pandemic, has been in a steep downtrend since January 2021 and has lost about 80 percent of its value since the easing of restrictions and people returning to gyms.

The company is also overhauling its board and winding down construction of its Peloton Output Park in Ohio. The report suggests that the exercise equipment company will increase its reliance on third-party vendors, and minimize its own managed warehouses and delivery locations.

 

Barry McCarthy, former CFO at Spotify and Netflix will take over as CEO of Peloton, with expectations that his experience with content-driven subscription models will be a boon for fitness company. Foley, on the other hand, will still be involved with the company and is taking up the role of executive chairman.

Peloton has been in the news recently, with rumours surrounding an Apple, Amazon or Nike acquisition being thrown around.

Peloton announced its comprehensive program to reduce operational costs and to drive growth and profitability earlier today. The announcement states that the company aims to “reduce its planned capital expenditures in 2022 by approximately $150 million.”

Source: Wall Street Journal

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Mobile Syrup

Apple discounts some of its prdocuts and accessories on Amazon

Amazon Canada has discounted several Apple products and accessories, including MagSafe cases, chargers, Watch Bands, adapters and headphones on its website.

Check out some notable deals below:

Apple AirPods (2nd Generation): $149.99 (regularly $159.98)

Apple Clear Case (for iPhone 12 Pro Max): $55.96 (regularly $69)

Apple Silicone Case with MagSafe (for iPhone 12 Pro Max) – Black: $55.96 (regularly $69)

Apple Clear Case with MagSafe (for iPhone 13): $64.99 (regularly $69.99)

Apple MagSafe Duo Charger: $154.98 (regularly $169)

Apple AirPods Max – Green: $729.95 (regularly $779)

Apple Smart Battery Case with Wireless Charging (for iPhone 11 Pro) – White: $89.99 (regularly $169)

Apple Pencil (2nd Generation): $149.98 (regularly $169)

Apple Leather Smart Cover (for iPad Air 10.5-inch) – Black: $49.97 (regularly $95)

Apple Smart Folio (for 11-inch iPad Pro – 2nd Generation) – White: $54.99 (regularly $99.97)

Apple Smart Folio (for 12.9-inch iPad Pro – 4th Generation) – White: $64.99 (regularly $129)

Apple Watch Sport Band (40mm) – Black Unity: $55.75 (regularly $59)

Apple Watch SE (GPS, 40mm) – Gold Aluminium Case with Starlight Sport Band: $338.99 (regularly $369)

Apple Watch SE (GPS, 44mm) – Gold Aluminium Case with Starlight Sport Band: $378.99 (regularly $409)

Apple Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad – US English – Silver: $138.96 (regularly $149)

2021 Apple TV HD (32GB): $188.98 (regularly $199)

Apple TV Siri Remote: $42.99 (regularly $75)

Apple Lightning to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter: $8.98 (regularly $10)

Apple Lightning to Digital AV Adapter: $44.42 (regularly $65)

It’s worth noting that all of the products listed are fulfilled by Amazon itself, and not a third-party seller.



Find all Apple deals here

Image credit: Amazon

Source: Amazon

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Mobile Syrup

Apple’s new ‘Tap to Pay’ allow iPhones to accept contactless payment, but only in the U.S.

Following several rumours, Apple has officially announced a new ‘Tap to Pay‘ iPhone feature that turns the tech giant’s smartphone into a contactless payment terminal.

Unfortunately for Canadians, Apple says that the feature — which works with contactless credit cards, debit cards and other digital wallets — will only launch in the United States.

In an uncharacteristic move, Tap to Pay involves Apple working with third-party companies and opening up its platform to app developers and other payment apps. For example, the tech giant says that Stripe is the first payment service to offer Tap to Pay on the iPhone through a new Shopify app.

This means that rather than a new feature or app that natively runs within iOS, Apple is opening up the iPhone’s Near Field Communications (NFC) chip to third-party platforms that offer apps that support Tap to Pay. Payments are made with supported apps without needing additional hardware from a company like Square. In its press release, Apple says that all customer payment data is protected and encrypted with Tap to Pay.

“In collaboration with payment platforms, app developers, and payment networks, we’re making it easier than ever for businesses of all sizes — from solopreneurs to large retailers — to seamlessly accept contactless payments and continue to grow their business,” said Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet.

Earlier reports indicated that Apple utilized Montreal-based Mobeewave’s smartphone-based credit card technology to create the feature following its acquisition of the startup back in 2020.

Tap to Pay is set to launch in the U.S. later this year.

It’s unclear if or when Tap to Pay will make its way to Canada. Apple has a history of bringing its payment technology to Canada, though often several months/years after its U.S. release. For example, Apple Pay came to Canada in November 2015 in a limited capacity after launching in the U.S. in 2014. That said, Apple’s credit card, Apple Card, has not made its way here.

MobileSyrup has reached out to Apple for more information.

Image credit: Apple 

Source: Apple 

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Mobile Syrup

Nintendo’s next Direct stream is set for Feb. 9

Nintendo has revealed that its next Direct streaming event is set for Wednesday, Feb 9th at 5pm ET/2pm PT.

The stream is expected to offer a look at new Switch titles headed to Nintendo’s console in the first half of 2022. As always, the event will be streamed on Nintendo’s YouTube channel.

It’s likely that the stream will offer a look at Kirby and the Forgotten Land, which releases on March 25th, and Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp, which drops this coming Spring. The event will also likely offer a glimpse of Triangle Strategy given it drops on March 4th.

Though slightly less likely, we could also get a new look at The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild 2, Bayonetta 3 and Splatoon 3. That said, it’s worth noting that none of those titles have specific release dates yet.

MobileSyrup will have more on Nintendo’s upcoming direct tomorrow.

Image credit: Square Enix

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Mobile Syrup

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 update brings new health-focused features

Samsung has announced new features coming to the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. 

The update includes new fitness tricks.

The first is a body composition update that gives users more insight into their health progress. Additionally, the South Korean company is bringing insights powered by ‘Centr’ a digital fitness program curated by Chris Hemsworth that’s aimed to transform your health, fitness and mindset. Galaxy Watch 4 users will get a free 30-day trial to Centr.

Samsung will also launch a new sleep coaching program that helps users develop new sleep habits. The update will track sleep patterns over seven days and complete two related sleep surveys. Following that it will guide users through a four to five-week coaching program with missions, checklists, sleep-related articles, meditation guidance and regular reports to see if sleep quality is improved.

More watch faces are coming as well including burgundy and cream sleep bands, new fabric bands and link bracelets.

As another upcoming update, users will be able to stream music over Wi-Fi or LTE via the YouTube Music app on their Galaxy Watch 4.

This update and more will come out during the February 9th unpacked event. We’ve reached out to Samsung Canada to confirm Canadian availability.

If you’re interested in getting a Galaxy Watch 4 yourself, you can check out Samsung’s new Valentine’s Day deal. 

Source: Samsung U.S.