Author: Mobile Syrup

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Stadia reportedly deprioritized as Google shifts focus to selling streaming tech

Despite hardcore Stadia fans’ sometimes naive best efforts, a new report indicates that Google is deprioritizing the game streaming service to focus on selling the underlying tech that powers it as a white-label platform.

According to Business Insider, Google was in talks with Bungie to use its white-label streaming technology, ‘Google Stream,’ with Destiny 2. However, Sony’s acquisition of the developer likely killed those talks. The Destiny developer would have owned the “content and control the front-end experience,” with Google Stream being the underlying architecture that powers it.

Google is also reportedly in talks with Capcom regarding utilizing Google Stream technology. Outside of the gaming space, the report mentions that Peloton could take advantage of Google Stream to bring gaming-related content to its fitness equipment.

According to the report, “about 20 percent” of the Stadia team’s efforts are currently focused on the consumer side of the business, with the rest of the division working on Google Stream. Lastly, Business Insider says that Google failed to reach its one million monthly active users goal for Stadia by “about 25 percent,” with retention being a critical issue.

In a statement to Business Insider, Google says that it’s “still focused on bringing great games to Stadia in 2022.” If you’ve been following the news surrounding Stadia for the best few years, this report isn’t the least bit surprising. Google’s lack of interest in making Stadia a real contender in the video game industry became apparent when the tech giant closed its internal studios early last year.

Of all the major streaming video game platforms, I did find that Stadia performed the best on a technical level. That said, Stadia Pro is a tough sell in the face of Microsoft’s excellent all-in-one Game Pass Ultimate platform that also includes Xbox Game Streaming (formerly called xCloud).

Source: Business Insider 

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Google Photos update causes crash when using Pixel 6 Magic Eraser tool

Headline Pixel 6/6 Pro feature ‘Magic Eraser’ is the cause behind crashes following a recent update to the Google Photos app.

A new bug reported by Android Police and spotted by users on Reddit and Twitter causes the Google Photos app to crash when launching the Magic Eraser tool. Specifically, the bug appears to impact Google Photos ‘version 5.76.0.425427310’ on Pixel 6 devices.

I tried recreating the bug on my Pixel 6, which is running Photos version 5.75.0.424739917, but opening Magic Eraser didn’t cause a crash. At the time of writing, the 5.76 version update wasn’t available to my device.

Android Police notes that the typical quick fixes aren’t working. For example, rebooting the phone, clearing the app’s cache, and restoring the Photos app to factory settings all don’t fix the problem. As it stands, it seems like once you’ve updated the Photo app, you’re stuck with the problem. If you’re still on an older version of Google Photos, you may want to hold off on any updates until there’s a fix.

This isn’t the first time Google has had problems with the Pixel 6 and Magic Eraser. Back in November, a Google Photo update removed Magic Eraser from Pixel 6 devices, but the search giant quickly fixed the error. Hopefully, there’s a similar quick fix with this problem.

Frustratingly for some, this is yet another bug in a rapidly-growing list of problems with Google’s latest flagship devices. Despite the numerous problems some have experienced with the phones, the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro also apparently helped set a quarterly sales record for Google.

Source: Twitter, Reddit Via: Android Police

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Twitter expands trial of its downvotes feature

Twitter is expanding its test feature that allows users to downvote replies to tweets they don’t want to see.

First rolled out in July, the social media app introduced the feature to understand which replies people find relevant in conversations. Downvotes aren’t visible to the tweet’s author or public.

The company also introduced upvotes that appear as likes. It’s unclear if upvoting will also be part of the expanded rollout.

“We learned a lot about the types of replies you don’t find relevant, and we’re expanding this test –– more of you on web and soon iOS and Android will have the option to use reply downvoting,” the organization said on its Twitter Support account (@TwitterSupport).

This is just one of several tests Twitter is conducting. It’s currently examining a video reaction feature that will allow users to share their thoughts through a video over a typed message. It’s also testing a feature that will let users add content warnings to tweets and categories.

It’s unclear how Twitter will select users who can test the downvoting feature. But the fact that Android users will also be able to try this, as it was previously only open to iOS users, seems like a step in the right direction.

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Canadians want streaming services to promote music made in Canada: study

Producer, Audio Engineer Uses Control Desk for Recording New Album Track in Music Record Studio, in the Soundproof Room Musician, Artist, Performer Sings a Song from New Album. Back View

A recent survey from rights management organization SOCAN shows Canadians want foreign social media companies to promote and invest in Canadian creations, including music, TV shows, and movies.

The advocate for musicians, artists, and publishers surveyed 1,510 Canadians 18 and older. While there was a strong consensus across Canada, a statement from the company shows residents of Quebec expressed the strongest sentiment.

While streaming services have been in Canada for the last decade, support has never been equitable.

For every dollar spent on music licenses from Canadian TV and radio broadcasters, 34 cents go towards Canadian songwriters and composers. In comparison, only 10 cents go towards artists for every dollar spent on licenses from online streaming services.

SOCAN says the situation worsens when looking at francophone musicians. They receive an average of seven percent royalties on traditional media but only 1.8 percent royalties on digital media.

“Canadian creators need support to continue to develop Canadian music in the world of streaming, and Canada must be a place for emerging music creators, where songwriters and composers can create, grow and thrive,” Jennifer Brown, SOCAN CEO, said in a statement.

The report also revealed younger Canadians showed the most support on the matter. While labelled as “surprising,” the report didn’t clarify what age groups were considered ‘younger.’

SOCAN says the recently introduced Online Streaming Act is a step in the right direction. Also known as Bill C-11, it looks to have streaming services follow similar rules to Canadian broadcasters.

The bill will “make it easier for Canadian audiences to find and engage with Canadian creators, giving our music a place in the world of streaming,” the organization said.

Image credit: ShutterStock

Source: SOCAN

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Transport Canada received 171 complaints about Tesla Model 3, Y heating issues

Transport Canada received a total of 171 consumer complaints regarding the performance of heating systems in Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles after the agency opened an investigation into Tesla heat pump issues in January.

According to a report from Teslarati, the complaints included concerns about heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system performance during cold weather conditions. Transport Canada is primarily concerned with how the HVAC performance may impact windshield defogging and defrosting, and driver visibility. The agency has not issued an official recall yet.

Transport Canada told Teslarati it informed Tesla of the investigation and that “communication is ongoing.”

The agency started investigating heating issues with the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y in mid-January after several Tesla owners reported problems earlier in the month.

Transport Canada encourages anyone who has experienced heating issues with their Tesla Model 3 or Model Y to contact them at 1-800-333-0510 or by filling out this defect complaint form.

Source: Teslarati

Categories
Mobile Syrup

January round-up: network expansions around Canada

5G smart mobile telephone radio network antenna base station on the telecommunication mast radiating signal

Telecom companies make multiple announcements every month on infrastructure improvements and network expansions they’re making across the county.

To keep up with the growing list and track how successful companies are in keeping up with their promises, MobileSyrup publishes monthly recaps following announcements made by telecom companies and government bodies.

Here are the announcements for the first month of 2022.

Telus

January 24th: The telecom giant partners with the University of Ottawa to create a 5G innovation hub. The $6 million investment brings 5G across the university’s multiple campuses.

Government bodies

January 25th: The government of Canada allocated thousands to bring high-speed internet to the rural Ontario communities of Hearst, Flamborough and Limehouse. 

January 26th: The federal government invested $6.9 million towards five projects that will bring high-speed internet to residents across 20 rural Ontario communities. The investment will benefit 3,445 households.

January 31st: Thanks to the Connected Coat project, residents across B.C. will see improved internet connectivity by 2023. The group laid its first 50 kilometres of fibre optic cable, which will help provide high-speed internet to 139 rural and coastal communities along the B.C coast. The federal and provincial governments support the project.

TekSavvy

January 18th: The independent service provider expands its fibre service to Cedar Springs and Blenheim, Ontario, reaching 700 households and businesses across the two communities.

January 25th: TekSavvy continues the expansion in Chatham-Kent, Ontario. It launched its fibre-to-the-home service across the communities of Grande Pointe, Mitchell’s Bay and Pain Court. Residents and businesses can receive up to 1Gbps internet and unlimited bandwidth.

January 27th: The expansion continues along Riverview Line and Grande River Line, giving access to 300 homes and businesses.

January 31st: It launches its fibre-to-the-home service in Chatham-Kent’s Bothwell neighbourhood, granting access to 480 homes and businesses.

Rogers

January 18th: Rogers expands its fibre connection to Dieppe, Moncton, Riverview, and Shediac in New Brunswick. The connection impacts 314,000 homes and businesses and allows all of them to access Rogers’ fleet of services.

January 19th: The Toronto telecom giant expands its 5G network to eight eastern Ontario communities. It’s part of a partnership with the federal and provincial governments and the Eastern Ontario Regional Network.

January 25th: Rogers announced it’s constructing six new cell towers along Highway 4 in B.C., providing 85 kilometres of coverage.

Image credit: ShutterStock

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Steam brings back ‘Games From Quebec’ sale, featuring 150+ titles

Last year, Steam ran its first-ever “Games From Quebec” sale to offer discounts on a slew of games from French-Canadians.

Now, the storefront, in partnership with GamePlay Space and La Guilde du jeu vidéo du Québec, has brought Games From Quebec” back to spotlight 150-plus released and upcoming Quebec-made titles. It should be noted, though, that some games are featured at regular price, although many are discounted.

See below for some the deals:

The deals run from February 3rd to 7th.

If you weren’t aware, Quebec is Canada’s leading province by far when it comes to video game development, housing more than 290 studios in total. This makes it one of the top five game development hubs in the entire world.

Image credit: EA

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel now available on Android and iOS

Konami’s Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel has launched on Android and iOS.

The free-to-play competitive card game debuted on PlayStation 4/5, Xbox consoles, Nintendo Switch and PC on January 18th.

This is a notable launch for Android and iOS, given that the previous Yu-Gi-Oh! mobile game, Duel Links, features a streamlined version of the popular trading card game (TCG). Master Duel, meanwhile, plays exactly like the real game, featuring the same rules and cards (at least, 10,000+ of them). Unlike Duel Links, though, this isn’t based on the popular Yu-Gi-Oh! anime adaptations.

Master Duel also features cross-play and cross-saves between the different versions of the game. If you’re a new or lapsed player of the TBG, the game also offers various tutorials to ease you in.

Of course, as with most free-to-play mobile games, Master Duel features in-app purchases. Specifically, you can spend real money to buy in-game currencies used to unlock new cards and other in-game content. These currencies can also be earned over time.

Image credit: Konami

Categories
Mobile Syrup

High-speed internet coming to 500+ homes in Newfoundland and Labrador via UBF project

The government of Canada announced that it would fund another internet project in Newfoundland and Labrador through the Universal Broadband Fund (UBF) Rapid Response Stream.

Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Yvonne Jones, Member of Parliament for Labrador, announced over $929,000 in funding to help bring high-speed internet to 528 households in North West River and the Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation in Newfoundland and Labrador.

“Big Land Networks is excited to announce the expansion of bigLink Internet, bringing fibre optic Internet to the residents of Sheshatshiu and North West River. bigLink Internet is a brand new fiber-to-the-home service, offering packages with speeds up to 500 Mbps!” said Big Land Networks president David Hall in a press release.

“We would like to thank the Innu Development Limited Partnership and the Government of Canada for the opportunity to provide underserved Labrador communities with high-speed Internet services and to bridge the digital divide by expanding our fibre networks into even more rural areas.”

This expansion will help further the government’s goal of expanding high-speed internet to 98 percent of Canadians by 2026. Canada’s Connectivity Strategy aims to provide all Canadians with access to internet with download speeds of at least 50Mbps and upload speeds of at least 10Mbps.

For more about Canada’s UBF projects, check out our map here.

Source: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Categories
Mobile Syrup

IBM partners with Quebec government to install first quantum computer in Canada

Moscow, Russia – December, 2020: IBM logo on a storage rack in Datacenter

IBM is bringing Canada its first universal quantum computer in partnership with the Government of Quebec.

The company will deploy the IBM Quantum System One at its plant in Bromont, Quebec. It will focus on solving problems in energy, sustainability, drug discovery, and more at the plant.

Quantum computing focuses on creating computer technology through quantum theory and uses quantum states to make calculations.

It can take decades to make significant discoveries and cost millions, or even billions, of dollars, Anthony Annunziata, director of accelerated discovery at IBM, said at a press briefing. “We think we can accelerate that,” by as much as 100 times, he said.

The partnership will result in integrating quantum computing with AI and hybrid cloud.

“When you bring these three together, you really can start to do special things. You can actually start to really rapidly accelerate that scientific process.”

The system will be available at the Bromont facility sometime in the “early part of next year.”

This is the fourth quantum system IBM will install outside of the U.S. IBM has already installed the system in Germany and Japan and will be installing one in South Korea in the next couple of years.

Image credit: ShutterStock

Source: IBM