Author: Mobile Syrup

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Mobile Syrup

Huawei Canada launches MateView GT and MateView in Canada

MateView GT (CNW Group/Huawei Consumer Business Group)

Huawei Canada has announced the launch of the Huawei MateView series of devices. These include the MateView and MateView GT, which offer cutting-edge display technology.

Alongside the launch of the MateView GT, you can grab a free Wireless Mouse GT and a Wireless Charging Mouse Pad GT from January 5th to January 19th.

In Canada, the Huawei MateView GT costs $748.99 and the other model retails at $898.99 CAD.

I’ve been using the MateView GT for the past couple of weeks (review coming soon) and it’s pretty stellar. The monitor sports a 34-inch 165Hz refresh rate display with a curved 21:9 aspect ratio and a pixel resolution of 3440 x 1440.

There’s also a cool RGB light bar integrated into a Soundbar that changes colours offers a variety of different lighting modes. Speaking of the SoundBar, it sports 2.0 stereo sound for an immersive experience when gaming or watching content.

The GT also sports two HDMI 2.0 display ports, a DisplayPort 1.4 port, USB Type-C charging and a 3.5mm audio jack.

On the other hand, the MateView sports a regular 3:2 ratio with a 28.2-inch display and a 60Hz 3840 x 2560 pixel resolution. It features two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, one HDMI port, one DisplayPort and one 3.5mm audio jack.

Source: Huawei

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Mobile Syrup

BlackBerry bringing its vehicle software focusing on sensor data to China

Sep 14, 2019 Mountain View / CA / USA – Blackberry logo at their HQ in Silicon Valley; BlackBerry Ltd (former developer of the BlackBerry smartphones) specializes in enterprise software and IOT

BlackBerry is bringing its software platform for vehicles to China.

This is happening through a partnership with PATEO, a company based in China providing technology and products to vehicles.

The Waterloo, Ontario based company will integrate BlackBerry IVY, cloud-based software that allows developers to share vehicle sensor data in a secure fashion, with PATEO’s digital cockpit. This will help create new services driven by data.

The companies will be working with “a leading Chinese automobile manufacturer” to implement their partnership as a pilot project in the manufacturer’s electric vehicles. It’s not clear who the manufacturer is. A BlackBerry spokesperson told MobileSyrup the name of the manufacturer can’t be shared at this time.

The pilot will also include software from a third company, Electra Vehicles, that provides real-time information on the remaining capacity and health of a battery.

Once the pilot is completed successfully, the manufacturer will integrate software worked on by all three companies into its electric vehicle line-up.

Information on what will make the pilot project successful has not been made public.

BlackBerry will be showcasing its automotive offerings at CES 2022. You can check out more news from CES here.

Image credit: ShutterStock

Source: BlackBerry

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Mobile Syrup

PlayStation patent points to coaching system for gamers who need to ‘git gud’

PlayStation may be working on a system that helps coach players to step up their game.

In a U.S. patent filed by Sony Interactive Entertainment in June 2021 and published six months later, the tech giant outlines “systems and methods for coaching a user for game play.”

Specifically, Sony proposes a way to gauge when the player has “fallen below a skill threshold,” at which time assistive gameplay recordings and images will be played. According to Sony, this could “reduce frustration of players of various game genres in learning a new game.”

It’s worth noting that the PlayStation 5 already offers a similar feature called ‘Game Help,’ through which players can access hints and videos as they play. However, this is only available in supported games and is exclusive to PlayStation Plus subscribers. Game Help is also a bit more limited in that it features pre-prepared tips for specific sections the developer. By contrast, the new Sony patent proposes a system that studies a player’s moment-to-moment gameplay and provides personalized assistance accordingly.

It’s important to stress that, as with any patent, this coaching system may very well not see the light of day. That said, it points to a larger trend of PlayStation filing patents for various tools that can help the player. Over the past couple of years alone, the company has patented everything from a Siri-esque ‘PlayStation Assistant’ to an Uber-like real-time game help service.

Image credit: PlayStation

Source: United States Patent and Trademark Office Via: VideoGamesChronicle

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Mobile Syrup

BMW’s latest experimental vehicle can change colours on the go

CES never seems to disappoint when it comes to products with a “wow” factor, and BMW’s experimental colour-changing vehicle presentation certainly didn’t.

The Germany-based luxury car manufacturer calls the vehicle the iX Flow, which is wrapped with a layer of E Ink containing several tiny microcapsules with white and black pigments. “Each capsule contains differently charged white, black or coloured particles which become visible when an electric field is applied. This creates what is known as an Electronic Paper Display (EPD),” reads BMW’s CES 2022 recap post.

With the push of a button, you can cause the black or white pigments in said microcapsules to rush to the top surface, allowing the car’s exterior to change colours. According to BMW’s presentation, the colours are currently limited to white, black and grey.

BMW further stated that the change of colour wouldn’t just be aesthetic and that the exterior colour black could help absorb heat during cold winter days while the white would block and deflect back sunlight on warm summer days.

BMW didn’t talk about how weatherproof the outer coating is. Also, what happens when the vehicle gets scratched up or dented? I would assume that the cost to re-apply or patch such a coating would be hefty. That being said, don’t expect to see these cars driving around any time soon. BMW says this is just an “advanced research and design project” which might make its way to the public sometime in the future.

Image credit: BMW

Source: BMW

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Mobile Syrup

Samsung Galaxy S2 ROM lets the ancient smartphone run Android 12

Samsung’s Galaxy S2 is almost 12 years old, but back in the day, the android smartphone was considered one of the best devices around. And now, the ancient smartphone seems to be getting reinvigorated with a new ROM of Android 12.

XDA Developer forum user ‘rINanDO‘ has managed to get Android 12 running on a 1.2GHz processor and only 1GB of RAM. Typically unofficial ROMs are buggy, but this one is reportedly pretty good based on several forum users’ posts.

The following features are currently working in the ROM:

  • RIL (Phone/SMS)
  • Audio
  • Bluetooth (audio & headset)
  • Wi-Fi
  • IMEI
  • Touchkeys
  • Hardware encode/decoder
  • Display
  • DRM, for e.g. Netflix
  • Selinux enforced
  • BitGapps
  • Magisk v23.0
  • FM Radio (using Spirit2)

The functionality below isn’t working:

  • AGPS
  • Camera Video recording
  • PowerHAL
  • Live Display
  • MicroG support

Keep in mind that the Galaxy S2 is still a device that’s well over a decade old, so don’t expect the ROM actually to improve the handset’s performance in a significant way. Still, it’s fascinating to see someone put the effort into creating a ROM like this simply because they could.

Typically, I’d advise against modding your device as it would void your warranty, but given how old the Galaxy S2 is, you likely don’t have much to lose. Here are the steps to install this ROM on Samsung’s Galaxy S2.

Source: XDA Developers forums, XDA Developers

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Mobile Syrup

Shopper’s 50,000 PC Point promotion is available only today

Shoppers Drug Mart is back with its PC Optimum Points promotion. The Canadian retail pharmacy chain is offering 50,000 bonus PC Optimum points when you make an online purchase of at least $150. Note that this offer is available today, Wednesday, January 5th only.

50,000 PC Optimum points work out to $50 in value, so in essence, you’re only spending $100.

You can redeem points towards anything from Shoppers’ surprisingly extensive catalogue, which includes wireless headphones, video games, media streamers and cameras.

Check out some buying suggestions below:
Nintendo Switch Neon Blue / Red Joy-Con: $379.99
Apple AirPods Pro with Wireless Charging Case: $299.99
Beats Solo 3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones: $249.99
Asus 11.6-inch 4GB/32GB Chromebook: $219.99 (regularly $249.99)
Acer Aspire 5 Notebook, Ryzen R3, 15.6-inch, 4GB, 128GB: $499.99 (regularly $529.99)
Samsung Galaxy A32 Phone 5G: $369.99
PlayStation Pulse 3D wireless headset: $129.99
Check out all products from Shoppers’ electronics catalogue here.
Source: Shoppers Drug Mart
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Mobile Syrup

Activision sues Call of Duty cheat maker as Warzone QA team strikes for third week

Activision has filed a lawsuit against a company called EngineOwning for allegedly distributing Call of Duty cheats.

According to the lawsuit, EngineOwning’s software enables those playing Call of Duty games to automatically aim weapons, discern the locations of players and more. Activision argues that the defendants “have been fully aware that their conduct violates Activision’s rights but nevertheless have brazenly continued their activities.”

For months, Activision has been cracking down on cheaters in Call of Duty: Warzone through a ‘Ricohet’ anti-cheat system and the banning of tens of thousands of offending accounts. However, Activision’s ongoing action against EngineOwning comes as subsidiary Raven is speaking out about its own grievances. ABetterABK, the workers alliance representing those protesting a multitude of issues within Activision Blizzard, note that the company has failed to address concerns at Warzone developer Raven.

On December 6th, over 60 members of Raven’s QA department walked off the job in protest of 12 QA layoffs at the company. The workers were laid off despite having their contracts in “good standing” — meaning that they didn’t underperform or commit a fireable offence. While Activision says the workers are free to protest without fear of retaliation, the protesting developers say leadership has failed to provide a response.

It remains to be seen what will come out of both Activision’s lawsuit surrounding Call of Duty cheats, and the protests of those who actually make the games.

Beyond Raven, though, Activision has been reckoning with a larger company-wide scandal related to an alleged frat-boy culture. In July, California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard following a two-year investigation, alleging that the company had a history of sexual harassment, discriminatory hiring practices and more.

Then, in November, The Wall Street Journal reported that Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick not only knew about these issues but actively tried to cover them up. Calls for Kotick to step down were quickly made, although the company’s board backed him and he has so far not done so.

As we wait for further developments, it’s worth noting that ABetterABK is running a fundraiser in support of striking Activision Blizzard workers, should you wish to donate.

Image credit: Activision

Via: PC Gamer

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Mobile Syrup

This dongle from Motorola can give you access to wireless Android Auto

If you’ve been wanting to use Android Auto in your car, but it doesn’t have wireless Auto factory fitted, this new dongle/adapter from Motorola might solve the issue.

First off, while the MA1 dongle does have Motorola’s name on it, it’s not made by the Motorola phone company that we all know. Meizhou Guo Wei Electronics (SGW Global), a China-based company that officially licenses Motorola’s name, is behind the adapter.

Motorola’s MA1, which starts shipping on January 30th costs $89.95 USD (about $115 CAD) and provides a wireless connection between your phone and the car. The dongle connects to your car via a USB-A cable and features Bluetooth to pair with your smartphone. The dongle then transmits data over a 5GHz Wi-Fi connection. All you need to do is step inside the car and start the engine and the dongle will automatically establish a connection, allowing you to enjoy the convenience of Android Auto without having to plug your phone in.

The dongle also features some kind of adhesive pad on its rear so that you can attach it somewhere in your car, preventing it from dangling. It’s worth noting however that by using the MA1 instead of a wired connection, you’re losing out on the extra charging you can squeeze in while driving, though that shouldn’t matter much for short trips around town.

Also worth noting is that the MA1 will only work in cars that support wired Android Auto, and you need a mobile device that runs Android 11 or higher.

Check out the product description and a quick walkthrough video here to learn more about the seamless connection the MA1 can offer.

Image credit: Motorola

Source: Motorola

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Mobile Syrup

Recently filed lawsuit could reveal how much Google pays Apple to make it the default search engine

Bangkok. Thailand. January 24, 2016:A woman is typing on Google search engine from a laptop. Google is the biggest Internet search engine in the world.

Ever wondered why Google has been the default search engine on all Apple devices?

Speculation points to financial gains as the answer.

9to5Mac labels this relationship “an open secret,” but it’s always remained unclear how much Google was paying Apple to make this happen.

A recently filed class-action lawsuit may soon reveal this number.

A suit by California Crane School has been filed against Google, Apple and their CEOs alleging the search engine is paying Apple to keep other search engines away.

The complaint details a number of measures helped make this possible. This includes Google sharing profits with Apple in return for the search engine being given preferential treatment, Apple suppressing competition, and secret meetings between executives of the two companies.

The complaint seeks the end of these secret payments. It also asks for orders ending the non-compete agreement Apple has with Google and the end of preferential treatment to Google.

The complaint also asks Google and Apple to be broken up into separate companies that function independently.

Estimates covered by 9to5Mac states Apple was paid $15 billion (roughly $19.1 billion CAD) by Google in 2021, an amount that will increase to between $18 and $20 billion (roughly between $22.9 and $25.5 billion) this year.

Image credit: ShutterStock

Source: 9to5Mac via MacRumors

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Mobile Syrup

Toronto-based DrinkBox’s Nobody Saves the World releasing January 18

Canadian-made Nobody Saves the World has an official release date: January 18th.

Toronto indie developer DrinkBox (Guacamelee!) made the announcement in a new trailer:

Nobody Saves the World is coming to Xbox consoles, Windows 10 and Steam, with cross-play co-op supported between each platform. Additionally, the action-RPG will be available on Xbox Game Pass on consoles, PC and through the cloud on day one.

In Nobody Saves the World, you play as a featureless “Nobody” who must stop The Calamity to, as the title suggests, save the world. The game features over 15 different forms that Nobody can turn into, ranging from a Knight or Horse to a Robot or Mermaid. There are also more than 80 Form abilities that can be mixed and matched, such as a Horse with a Ranger’s bow.

Mastering these mechanics will be essential to navigating the game’s expansive overworld, exploring a multitude of dungeons and taking on all kinds of quests.

For more on Nobody Saves the World, check out our interview with DrinkBox co-founder Graham Smith.

Image credit: DrinkBox