Author: Mobile Syrup

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Mobile Syrup

Google’s latest Pixel 6 ad starring Simu Liu goes live today

Mississauga, Ontario’s very own Simu Liu, is starring in Google’s latest Pixel 6 ad, which starts airing today on select English broadcast channels like TSN, Sportsnet, HGTV and the W Network, among others.

What’s unique about the ad is that it’s in Liu’s native tongue, Mandarin.

While the ad may not be decipherable if you just listen to it, accompanying subtitles should make understanding it easier. Google’s main objective with the ad is to show that Canada is quickly evolving into a multi-lingual country where languages shouldn’t be a barrier. “Language is one of the most universal experiences we share— but, sometimes it becomes a frustrating barrier. With the help of technology, people should be able to overcome language barriers and connect with the world around them in new and meaningful ways,” reads Google’s blog post about the new ad.

One of the main talking points about the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro is its ‘Live Translation,’ and the ad specifically focuses on the ‘Interpreter Mode’, which can provide “simple translation of in-person conversations directly on the device.” Learn more about the Pixel 6’s Live Translation capabilities here.

The new Mandarin ad campaign starring Simu goes live today, January 24th. The ad will appear alongside Google’s recently-announced French-language campaign featuring Canadian Tennis Star Leylah Fernandez.

Image credit: Google Canada

Source: Google

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Mobile Syrup

LifeLabs partners with drone program to get meds to remote communities

Medical lab chain LifeLabs has partnered with the University of British Columbia to investigate how drone delivery could improve healthcare in remote first-nation communities.

The project sees LifeLabs join forces with the Stellat’en First Nation, Village of Fraser Lake, the First Nations Health Authority (FHNA), the Rural Coordination Centre of BC (RCCbc), UBC’s Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Drone Delivery Canada (DDC).

The study, dubbed the Drone Transport Initiative, is in its first phase with test deliveries of supplies and mock samples being moved by drone between Stellat’en First Nations and Fraser Lake. Chief Robert Michell of Stellat’en First Nation says that it’s exciting to be at “the forefront of the technology,” and that “It would be amazing in 10 years’ time to see where this goes. This is definitely a first step, and we’re proud to be a part of it.”

For decades remote first nations communities across Canada have been plagued by unequal access to sufficient healthcare because of travel constraints and issues with staff retention. These pressure points were further pressed upon with the COVID-19 pandemic as prompt sample testing became something more needed than ever before.

Dr. John Pawlovich, Rural Doctors’ UBC Chair in Rural Health describes the effort as a ” game-changer” with the ability to “transform access and delivery for citizens who live in these communities.” Dr. Pawlovich continued by saying “[this isn’t] going to happen overnight”, but “The Drone Transport Initiative is our opportunity to start that journey.”

This project marks the first of its kind with trials only having just begun amongst the communities.

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Telus partners with uOttawa to transform its campus into a ‘5G-connected innovation hub’

The University of Ottawa has just announced that it’s signing a five-year partnership with Telus to transform its campus into a “5G-connected innovation hub.” The partnership will see Telus invest $6 million, enabling 5G technology across uOttawa’s multiple campuses, and allowing for better research and innovation at one of Canada’s top universities.

“This collaboration will not only fuel multidisciplinary research to advance global health and life-saving diagnostics and treatments and cyber security, but will also transform uOttawa campuses and enrich the student experience through new curriculums and teaching methods as students participate in cutting-edge research leveraging the power of 5G,” reads Telus’ press release about the partnership.

According to the news release, the two are also in talks to extend the partnership to include two on-campus 5G research labs to aid in researching new technologies like applications to monitor patient health, smartphone applications for mobile monitoring, digital health systems, the detection of cyber threats and cyberattacks in real-time and to do real-time analytics on traffic patterns, dangerous road conditions, and unexpected weather occurrences.

Learn more about the partnership here.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Source: University of Ottawa

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Mobile Syrup

GM looking to stop dealerships from marking up electric vehicle prices

As more and more traditional car companies start selling desirable EVs, an issue has sprung up where dealerships arbitrarily mark up the prices of these cars.

To curb this, GM has sent a letter to its dealerships warning dealers against price raises. Offenders will have vehicle inventory redirected away from their lots. This follows a letter Ford sent to its dealerships regarding dealer markups on the F-150 Lightning.

GM’s letter says that “specifically it has come to our attention that some dealerships have attempted to demand money above and beyond the reservation amount set in GM’s program rules and have requested customers pay sums far in excess of MRSP in order to purchase or lease a vehicle,” according to a leaked letter on SilvarodoEvolution.com.

This appears to be happening at only a few dealerships, but as these exciting electric vehicles come out amid the global supply chain constraints, GM needs to stop this from becoming the norm. Especially since EVs are already more expensive than their gasoline-powered equivalents.

Source: Silverado Evolution 

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Mobile Syrup

Panasonic investing $700 million into factory upgrades to build advanced Tesla batteries

Starting in 2023, Panasonic is hoping to begin producing a new battery at a new factory in its home country of Japan that will increase the range of Tesla cars.

This information comes courtesy of the Japanese financial news publication The Nikkei. However, Reuters notes that the info, precisely the 15 to 20 percent range increase in Tesla cars, appears to be unverified or from a source that the paper isn’t naming. Therefore, I’d place this news in ‘leak’ territory.

That being said, Panasonic has shown off a more efficient ‘4680 Battery’ before, and Tesla did mention that its new battery design can increase range by 15 percent at a prior battery day.

Panasonic has officially told Reuters that it’s looking at various options to begin mass production and has started work on a test production line to be established later this year. “We don’t, however, have anything to announce at this time.” In a prior report, the battery company did tell The Wall Street Journal that it plans to start testing in March 2022.

The leak suggests that Panasonic will add a section to its plant in Wakayama, Japan, to produce the batteries as soon as the end of the year. This add-on is slated to cost around $700 million USD (roughly $884 million CAD).

Tesla is also working to produce its own 4680 batteries in-house, but the company is also struggling to get mass production ramped up.

Source: Reuters, The Nikkei, The Wall Street Journal

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Mobile Syrup

Nintendo scrubs Pokémon FPS videos from the internet

All footage of a Pokémon first-person shooter fan project is being wiped from digital existence.

Video of the game appeared on Reddit weeks ago and garnered an explosive fan response. But as is usually the case with Nintendo-owned IP being used without its permission, the Big N is scrubbing all evidence of the game online.

Video of the Pokémon x FPS blew up on YouTube and Twitter in recent days as fans got a taste of what it would be like to slay their favourite little Pocket Monsters. Reddit-user and developer of the game, Dragon_GameDev2 originally posted footage of the project on Reddit, and his initial post is one of the only places online where you can still get a glimpse of the title.

The video that was pulled featured players wielding various weapons to take down Pokémon like Articuno, Nidoking, and even the eternally-adorable Pikachu. It is a bloody take on the franchise that rarely strays beyond its usual family-friendly fare.

While most companies are fairly stringent when it comes to the use of their IP and brands, Nintendo is one of the harshest. In recent years the Japanese gaming giant has had gamers up in arms for their treatments of projects such as this.

One of the biggest criticisms lobbied their way is the inability to discern the difference between a fan project (that will likely be released for free) and something using their IP for commercial gain.

Nintendo has yet to publicly comment on the Pokémon FPS project and is unlikely to do so with Pokémon Legends Arceus coming out later this week.

Image credit: Reddit ‘Dragon_GameDev2’ (screenshot)

Via: IGN

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Mobile Syrup

DJI Action 2 vs GoPro Hero 10 (Video)

DJI attempted to shake up the action camera market this year with the Action 2, a fully-fledged GoPro competitor packed into one of the cutest camera bodies around.

While my full review of the Action 2 is live here, my partner Alex decided to test out her video-making skills to see what really sets the Action 2 apart from the GoPro Hero 10, and if the magnetic modularity is really worth the extra cost.

Dji’s Action 2 Front Screen module costs $679 and the GoPro Hero 10 costs $649 at Best Buy. However, depending on where you purchase the action cameras, you can find vastly different deals on both cameras.

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Apple’s Store no longer requires verification for education discounts

If you’re looking to get a slight discount on a new Apple product, you can now do so through the tech giant’s Apple Education program.

Previously, Apple used Unidays to verify that people were eligible students, but that limitation has been lifted. Thinking back, my partner bought an M1 MacBook Air last winter with the education discount and didn’t need to verify what school she was attending.

Other reports from U.S. publications like The Verge and MacRumors have also verified this shift in Apple’s policy. The only catch is it’s unclear how much longer Apple will keep the Eduction Store open to everyone. It’s possible now that news of Apple opening up its education program is widespread, the company will backpedal on the decision.

With all of this in mind, it’s important to note that Apple has locked down the Education Store with new rules that limit people from taking too much advantage of the discount. These rules limit shoppers to one desktop, Mac mini, laptop, two iPads and two accessories per year, per Apple account.

Image credit: Apple 

Source: Apple Store Via: The Verge 

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Mobile Syrup

PlayStation Canada offering free Uncharted movie ticket with purchase of Legacy of Thieves Collection

PlayStation Canada is offering a free ticket to the upcoming Uncharted movie to those who purchase or upgrade to the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection PS5 game.

When this promotion was first revealed last year, it was only listed for a handful of countries, including the U.S., but Sony is now confirming that Canada is included. Set to launch on January 28th, the Legacy of Thieves Collection contains PS5 remasters of the PS4 games Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (2016) and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (2017). Enhancements include higher resolution and frame rate modes, DualSense adaptive triggers and haptic feedback and ‘3D Audio’ (spatial audio).

To be eligible for this promotion, you’ll have to either purchase Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection for $64.99 CAD from the PlayStation Store or pay $14.99 to digitally upgrade via the storefront if you own one of the following:

  • Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
  • Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
  • Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End & Uncharted: The Lost Legacy Digital Bundle

The promotion runs until February 3rd, and Sony says a voucher code for a ticket to the Uncharted film will be delivered to the email tied to your PSN account on or around February 9th. Tickets are for participating Cineplex theatres and can be redeemed for premium admissions like 3D, UltraAVX and VIP.

The Uncharted movie, meanwhile, hits North American theatres on February 18th. Starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg, the flick explores Nathan Drake’s early adventures with mentor Victor Sullivan.

Image credit: Sony Pictures

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Mobile Syrup

Tesla Cyber truck leak shows off very un-cyber side mirrors

The world has been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Tesla’s Cybertruck for months, and now a new leak shows off what the final production build of the electric truck might look like.

This is the second near-production leak of the truck we’ve seen, but this time the pictures are from a much closer angle giving us a better view of the mirrors and single long windshield wiper.

You can look at all the photos and videos on the Cybertruck Owners Club forum post, but other changes include a different rim design and tires that don’t look nearly as “off-road” capable as the model shown at the electric vehicle’s (EV) launch event.

The side mirrors make the Cyertruck look more like a regular truck and the fact that they seem to be the cheap plastic kind you’d find on a traditional base-model truck, detracts from the overall intention of Tesla’s cyber design.

Hopefully, Tesla is able to get the truck to release on time without changing the layout to many more times.

Source: Cybertruck Owners Club