Author: Mobile Syrup

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Mobile Syrup

Samsung might unveil the Galaxy S22 series on February 8

Samsung could launch its upcoming Galaxy S22 series at an Unpacked event on February 8th, according to South Korea’s Digital Daily.

A Samsung representation reportedly told the publication that “we have confirmed that the event will be held on February 8, and we are discussing the timing of invitations to be sent out at the end of January.”

In Canada, the S22 series will likely sport the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, feature have up to 12GB of RAM, and offer a substantial battery. The S22 Ultra will reportedly feature four cameras, with a top-of-the-line 108-megapixel primary shooter and what Samsung calls a “Super Clear Lens,” which is rumoured to improve low-light videos.

Additionally, the S22 Ultra will work with the company’s S Pen stylus and sport a design that looks like a combination of Samsung’s Note 20 Ultra and the S21 Ultra.

Samsung hasn’t officially announced the S22 event, but if the rumour above is correct the smartphone series will likely be formally revealed during roughly the same time frame as MWC 2022 in Barcelona, Spain.

Image credit: @heyitsyogesh

Source: Digital Daily Via: Engadget

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Mobile Syrup

Apple’s Beats Fit Pro release in Canada on January 24 for $249

After releasing in the U.S. back in November, Apple-owned Beats will bring its Fit Pro wireless earbuds to Canada on January 24th for $249.

The wireless earbuds feature 27-hours of charging with their case, active noise cancellation, a transparency mode, adaptive EQ, Apple’s H1 chip and Spatial Audio with head-tracking support. The Fit Pro seem designed to fall above the Studio Buds and possibly replace Beat’s more expensive Powerbeats Pro in the headphone/earbud company’s lineup of products.

Along with the above features, the Beats Fit Pro feature a built-in flexible wingtip designed to keep the wireless earbuds secure when they’re in your ears.

The sporty wireless earbuds have generally received positive coverage from most U.S. tech publications, with reviewers stating that the Fit Pros are comfortable and offer excellent noise cancellation. On the other hand, they lack wireless charging and don’t work as well with Android devices as Beats’ Studio Buds.

The Beats Fit Pro are available in ‘Black,’ ‘White,’ ‘Gray’ and ‘Purple/Pink.’ The Beats Fit Pro release in Canada on January 24th for $249.

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Image credit: Apple 

Source: Apple

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Mobile Syrup

Microsoft is reportedly testing Age of Empires IV on Xbox consoles

It looks like Age of Empires IV (Age IV) could make its way to Xbox consoles in the future.

According to the Twitter account @ALumia_Italia, a Twitter account that often digs through the Microsoft Insider Hub for product code names, ‘XIP_CAR_JANUARY_2022’ recently appeared in the Xbox version of the app.

According to Video Games Chronicle (VGC), “CAR’ is the internal code name at Microsoft for Age of Empires IV. While an Xbox version of the real-time strategy game has never officially been confirmed, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Age IV make its way to console.

Prior to Age IV’s release, I spoke to Michael Mann, the executive producer at World’s Edge, about the possibility of the title releasing on Xbox consoles. To my surprise, Mann didn’t outright deny the possibility and instead emphasized that the team was, at the time, focused on getting the PC version of the title ready for release.

“Our focus right now is the PC and we want to make sure the game is good. We have eight diverse civilizations, the graphics; we want to make sure that we deliver to a spectrum of PC machines and hardware first and land that this year,” said Mann.

Of course, Age of Empires IV would likely need a gamepad-focused control scheme to work well on Xbox, which could prove difficult. That said, Halo Wars 2 was able to pull it off quite well. It’s also worth mentioning that Xbox consoles also support mouse and keyboard controls.

As someone who at one point considered buying a new gaming PC specifically to be able to play Age of Empires IV on max settings, this is good news. The prospect of playing the game in glorious 4K on my Xbox Series X with mouse and keyboard definitely appeals to me.

For more on Age IV, check out my story about the game from back in October.

Source: @ALumia_Italia

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Mobile Syrup

Spider-Man: No Way Home is coming to digital in February

Spider-Man: No Way Home will swing onto digital platforms on February 28th.

The date appeared on U.S. premium video on demand (PVOD) service Vudu. The big Sony/Marvel blockbuster first opened in theatres on December 17th.

Some fans had been wondering when No Way Home would become available for streaming, especially amid concerns surrounding the Omicron COVID variant. In Canada, theatres in Ontario and Quebec have already been closed for this reason.

Vudu lists the purchase price of No Way Home as $19.99 USD (about $25.34 CAD), so it will likely be $24.99 in Canada on regular PVOD platforms like iTunes, Google Play, the Cineplex Store and Amazon Prime Video.

Picking up immediately where 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home left off, Spider-Man: No Way Home finds Peter Parker grappling with the world finding out he’s Spider-Man. In an effort to make everyone forget, Peter seeks the help of Doctor Strange, only for a botched spell to bring in Spider-Man villains from across the multiverse.

Spider-Man: No Way Home stars Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Marisa Tomei, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina and Jamie Foxx.

Image credit: Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios

Via: ComicBook.com

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Mobile Syrup

GTA publisher to buy Zynga for $12.7 billion in biggest-ever gaming acquisition

Take-Two Interactive has entered into an agreement to acquire mobile game developer Zynga for an estimated $12.7 billion USD (about $16.1 billion CAD).

Should the deal go through, this would be the largest acquisition of a gaming company to date. For reference, Microsoft’s major purchase of Bethesda parent company ZeniMax last year was valued at around $7.5 billion USD (about $9.5 billion CAD).

Take-Two Interactive is one of the biggest AAA game publishers in the console and PC space, owning the likes of Grand Theft Auto, NBA 2K and Borderlands. Zynga, meanwhile, is a leader in the mobile and social game space for titles like Farmville and Words with Friends. 

Therefore, Take-Two says it’s acquiring Zynga to broaden its portfolio.

“We are thrilled to announce our transformative transaction with Zynga, which significantly diversifies our business and establishes our leadership position in mobile, the fastest-growing segment of the interactive entertainment industry,” said Strauss Zelnick, chairman and CEO of Take-Two, in a press statement.

Currently, Zynga is working on Star Wars: Hunters, an arena combat game for Android, iOS and Nintendo Switch, which is set to release sometime this year.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Source: Take-Two Interactive

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Mobile Syrup

GTA publisher to buy Zynga for $12.7 billion in biggest-ever gaming acquisition

Take-Two Interactive has entered into an agreement to acquire mobile game developer Zynga for an estimated $12.7 billion USD (about $16.1 billion CAD).

Should the deal go through, this would be the largest acquisition of a gaming company to date. For reference, Microsoft’s major purchase of Bethesda parent company ZeniMax last year was valued at around $7.5 billion USD (about $9.5 billion CAD).

Take-Two Interactive is one of the biggest AAA game publishers in the console and PC space, owning the likes of Grand Theft Auto, NBA 2K and Borderlands. Zynga, meanwhile, is a leader in the mobile and social game space for titles like Farmville and Words with Friends. 

Therefore, Take-Two says it’s acquiring Zynga to broaden its portfolio.

“We are thrilled to announce our transformative transaction with Zynga, which significantly diversifies our business and establishes our leadership position in mobile, the fastest-growing segment of the interactive entertainment industry,” said Strauss Zelnick, chairman and CEO of Take-Two, in a press statement.

Currently, Zynga is working on Star Wars: Hunters, an arena combat game for Android, iOS and Nintendo Switch, which is set to release sometime this year.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Source: Take-Two Interactive

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Mobile Syrup

Apple’s next iPhone SE will feature 5G and iPhone 8-era design

It looks like Apple’s next iPhone SE won’t be the jump forward some were hoping for.

According to Bloomberg’s often-reliable Mark Gurman, Apple will introduce its 3rd-generation iPhone SE through a virtual spring presentation in March or April.

As expected, the smartphone will feature an iPhone 8-like design that includes a physical Home Button and sizable bezels, with the key upgrades consisting of 5G connectivity and the iPhone 13’s A15 chip. Gurman doesn’t dive into more detail, but the smartphone will likely also feature camera upgrades and a storage increase to at least 128GB.

With all of this in mind, if you were hoping a more modern design would finally make its way to the iPhone SE, it looks like you’ll be out of luck in 2022.

Apple’s iPhone SE (2020) looked extremely outdated back in 2020, and the fact that the tech giant is reportedly sticking with nearly the same design in 2022 certainly doesn’t bode well for those hoping to see a more modern entry-level iPhone this year.

Source: Bloomberg (Power On)

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Mobile Syrup

Apple’s next iPhone SE will feature 5G and iPhone 8-era design

It looks like Apple’s next iPhone SE won’t be the jump forward some were hoping for.

According to Bloomberg’s often-reliable Mark Gurman, Apple will introduce its 3rd-generation iPhone SE through a virtual spring presentation in March or April.

As expected, the smartphone will feature an iPhone 8-like design that includes a physical Home Button and sizable bezels, with the key upgrades consisting of 5G connectivity and the iPhone 13’s A15 chip. Gurman doesn’t dive into more detail, but the smartphone will likely also feature camera upgrades and a storage increase to at least 128GB.

With all of this in mind, if you were hoping a more modern design would finally make its way to the iPhone SE, it looks like you’ll be out of luck in 2022.

Apple’s iPhone SE (2020) looked extremely outdated back in 2020, and the fact that the tech giant is reportedly sticking with nearly the same design in 2022 certainly doesn’t bode well for those hoping to see a more modern entry-level iPhone this year.

Source: Bloomberg (Power On)

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Mobile Syrup

Telus health launches new virtual pharmacy program

The health initiative of telecommunications company Telus is introducing new changes to better deliver pharmacy services.

Telus Health has launched a virtual pharmacy, allowing Canadians to set up reminders to have prescriptions refilled and shipped directly to their door.

Users will also be allowed to have unlimited video and phone consultations with licensed pharmacists and will be able to manage medications through an online dashboard.

The service is introduced during a time when medication non-adherence is on the rise. This is when patients don’t take their medications as directed. A survey conducted for Telus Health found a third of Canadians were unable to pick up their prescription on time last year. A majority of respondents said the task slipped their minds when asked to explain their reasoning.

“As people’s lives continue to get busier, we need to focus on providing simple and convenient solutions that allow people to better manage their health and the health of their families,” Sonya Lockyer, vice president of pharmacy at Telus Health, said in a statement. “Not following medication instructions can negatively affect a patient’s health and costs our health care systems billions of dollars in unnecessary acute care interventions.”

The service is available in English in all provinces besides Quebec. A French version will be released in the “coming months.”

The app is available on iOS and Android.

Image source: Telus Health/Facebook 

Source: Telus Health

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Mobile Syrup

Alberta RCMP launches new app to report non-urgent crimes

Alberta’s Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has released a new mobile app that makes it easier for its users to access police information and report non-urgent crimes, including petty theft, mischief, driving and noise complaints and more.

The app, which launched on Friday, January 7th is free to download for iOS and Android and allows users to search for detachment locations, press releases, crime mapping and data, information about organizational projects and a link to the service’s online crime reporting system.

“While the app will not replace existing online tools, it will supplement current RCMP web content and consolidate information into one mobile source,” said Chief Supt. Peter Tewfik, officer-in-charge of the Alberta RCMP’s Community Safety and Wellbeing Branch, in a statement given to the Edmonton Journal. The RCMP’s aim here is to help remove barriers in accessing important information that, “while already available online, is now available in one convenient place, literally at your fingertips.”

Along with the range of options mentioned above, the app will also allow its users to obtain mental health support, connect with other municipal police departments, link users to crime stoppers and redirect to Alberta RCMP’s social media accounts.

According to Tewfik (via Edmonton Journal), the app complies with Canadian privacy rules and does not collect or demand any personal data or information from the user, however, if you choose to report a crime through the app, you’ll be asked to share some personal details.

Image credit: Google Play Store (Alberta RCMP)

Source: RCMP Via: Edmonton Journal