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PCMag names Bell and Valley Fiber the top Canadian ISPs for gaming

PCMag has dropped its Best Gaming Internet Service Providers (ISPs) list for Canada in 2022. Bell claimed the top spot for ‘major’ ISPs, which include providers with a multi-province presence and a minimum of 500,000 customers. When looking at all ISPs, Manitoba’s Valley Fiber holds the number one spot.

Before we dig into the results, there are a few things worth taking note of. First, PCMag measures the best gaming ISPs using its ‘Gaming Quality Index,’ or GQI. The GQI focuses on latency and jitter gathered from tests performed by customers. PCMag averages out the scores and assigns a GQI to each ISP based on the results — the lower the GQI, the better. The GQI differs from PCMag’s Speed Index, which focuses on download and upload speeds (and where a higher result is better).

This year, PCMag gathered tests from 146,071 people in Canada between December 1st, 2020 and November 29th, 2021, up 394 percent over last year.

Since PCMag started separating results for major and all ISPs, there have been several winners in the major ISP category, including Virgin Mobile with a GQI of 27.9, Telus at 22.1 and last year, Shaw at 26.3. This year, Bell finally broke the 20 GQI line with a score of 19.9.

Telus landed in second at 22.5 (up from 26.3 last year) while Shaw placed third with a GQI of 27.2, a little worse than its previous winning 26.3 score.

When widening the scope to all ISPs in Canada (PCMag requires at least 100 tests to be included), things get more interesting. Last year, Toronto-based Beanfield Metroconnect scored a record-setting 3.3 on the GQI, but it fell significantly to 42.4 this year (although it still boasts the fastest speeds in PCMag’s summer speed rankings).

Instead, Manitoba-based Valley Fiber was the top score at 5.9, up from its second-place score of 8.9 last year. The number two spot went to Novus (12.1), which specializes in high-rise buildings mostly in Vancouver. FibreStream was close behind Novus at 12.7 — it services apartments and condos in cities like Toronto and Ottawa. When looking at all ISPs, Bell’s 19.9 GQI puts it in the fifth spot.

Looking at gaming scores by province, Manitoba takes top spot with a provincial GQI of 31.2. B.C. comes in close behind at 32 followed by Alberta, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland. Ontario, New Brunswick and P.E.I. are functionally tied at 52.x, with Nova Scotia bringing up the rear. PCMag did not include the territories since it didn’t receive enough tests from residents.

You can view last year’s results here.

Source: PCMag

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Mobile Syrup

PCMag names Bell and Valley Fiber the top Canadian ISPs for gaming

PCMag has dropped its Best Gaming Internet Service Providers (ISPs) list for Canada in 2022. Bell claimed the top spot for ‘major’ ISPs, which include providers with a multi-province presence and a minimum of 500,000 customers. When looking at all ISPs, Manitoba’s Valley Fiber holds the number one spot.

Before we dig into the results, there are a few things worth taking note of. First, PCMag measures the best gaming ISPs using its ‘Gaming Quality Index,’ or GQI. The GQI focuses on latency and jitter gathered from tests performed by customers. PCMag averages out the scores and assigns a GQI to each ISP based on the results — the lower the GQI, the better. The GQI differs from PCMag’s Speed Index, which focuses on download and upload speeds (and where a higher result is better).

This year, PCMag gathered tests from 146,071 people in Canada between December 1st, 2020 and November 29th, 2021, up 394 percent over last year.

Since PCMag started separating results for major and all ISPs, there have been several winners in the major ISP category, including Virgin Mobile with a GQI of 27.9, Telus at 22.1 and last year, Shaw at 26.3. This year, Bell finally broke the 20 GQI line with a score of 19.9.

Telus landed in second at 22.5 (up from 26.3 last year) while Shaw placed third with a GQI of 27.2, a little worse than its previous winning 26.3 score.

When widening the scope to all ISPs in Canada (PCMag requires at least 100 tests to be included), things get more interesting. Last year, Toronto-based Beanfield Metroconnect scored a record-setting 3.3 on the GQI, but it fell significantly to 42.4 this year (although it still boasts the fastest speeds in PCMag’s summer speed rankings).

Instead, Manitoba-based Valley Fiber was the top score at 5.9, up from its second-place score of 8.9 last year. The number two spot went to Novus (12.1), which specializes in high-rise buildings mostly in Vancouver. FibreStream was close behind Novus at 12.7 — it services apartments and condos in cities like Toronto and Ottawa. When looking at all ISPs, Bell’s 19.9 GQI puts it in the fifth spot.

Looking at gaming scores by province, Manitoba takes top spot with a provincial GQI of 31.2. B.C. comes in close behind at 32 followed by Alberta, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland. Ontario, New Brunswick and P.E.I. are functionally tied at 52.x, with Nova Scotia bringing up the rear. PCMag did not include the territories since it didn’t receive enough tests from residents.

You can view last year’s results here.

Source: PCMag

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Mobile Syrup

Oppo offers a sneak peek of its first foldable smartphone

Three years after this Oppo patent showed off a foldable smartphone design, the Dongguan, Guangdong, China-based company has finally released an official sneak peek of its foldable smartphone.

The smartphone, dubbed the Oppo Find N, is described as “a foldable smartphone that is truly easy to use and can provide an innovative experience.” According to Oppo, almost four years of research and development and six generations of prototypes went into developing the Find N.

While the company didn’t provide any information about the device’s specifications, it did say that it kept in mind two guiding principles while developing the product — first, that the device is beautiful and second, that the device is useful and easy to use.

The company also says that it has worked meticulously to solve common foldable smartphone problems, including creasing and durability issues. Further, the device is expected to “offer powerful performance while maintaining an appropriate weight and size.”

Oppo plans to unveil the device on its INNO Day, which is scheduled for December 15th. It’s important to note that Oppo doesn’t officially sell its devices in Canada. That said, given Oppo is the parent company of OnePlu — a manufacturer that does sell its smartphones here — there’s a possibility that the technology featured in the Find N could make its way here at some point.

Image credit: Oppo

Source: Oppo

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Privacy watchdog disappointed with government’s ability to protect the privacy of Canadians

Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien is calling on the federal government to do more to protect the rights of Canadians.

In his final annual report as commissioner, Therrien takes aim at the government’s inability to stay in line with continuing privacy concerns raised throughout the years.

One such concern was the commission’s role in a Facebook court case. The commissioner brought this case forward in February 2020 after an investigation found the social media giant had numerous shortcomings in how it used personal information and protected users’ privacy. The court proceedings are ongoing, but the commissioner notes this is one example of a threat to privacy and human rights.

He was hopeful some change would come about when parliament introduced Bill C-11 in November 2020. Named the Digital Charter Implementation Act, it was aimed at bringing Canada’s privacy laws into the 21st century by overhauling the federal private sector privacy law.

But the bill only received a few hours of debate and died on paper when the election was called in August. Therrien noted this as a concern — “it was a step back,” he said in the report. His office was one of the parties that had been calling for a bill like this to be introduced for years.

While the bill was presented as something that would Canadians control over the data collected, the commission still had some concerns about it. “The bill would have given consumers less control and organizations more flexibility in monetizing personal data, without increasing their accountability,” the report said. The commission argues that the new bill would favour commercial objectives over privacy protections, and argued it should be the other way around.

Privacy-protective measures that can be found in the privacy laws of some provinces and countries similar to the Canadian economy were also missing. The commission created a submission with 60 recommendations to improve privacy measures. They never got the chance to bring these up for consideration.

Canada has two privacy laws. The Privacy Act focuses on the public sector and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act focuses on the private sector. The report states neither of these laws are suitable for protecting privacy in the digital world.

“I am hopeful the government will seriously consider needed improvements to Bill C-11 so that we can see an updated private sector privacy law that more effectively achieves responsible innovation and the protection of rights.”

The office also assisted with Health Canada’s COVID Alert app. In the last report, Therrien said law reforms were needed to protect privacy during the pandemic. When the federal government first consulted Therrien’s office about the app, concerns were raised it didn’t meet key privacy principles outlined in the framework the office created focusing on data collection during the pandemic. The office brought up recommendations that were ultimately implemented.

The office is currently participating in Health Canada’s evaluation of the app for necessity, effectiveness, and other factors.

Image credit: Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

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Mobile Syrup

Android Automotive 12 is all I want on my dashboard

My biggest gripe with most automakers is that the infotainment software that runs the radio, Bluetooth, navigation and pretty much everything digital is outdated and a few steps behind phones and computers. Google has been on track to change that with Android Automotive, and the latest reference designs are stunning.

To be clear, Android Automotive is a set of software built on top of Android to replace infotainment systems in cars. Android Auto is a phone-based app that can play over your existing infotainment. The draw of Android Automotive means you don’t need to use your phone as much, and the car can just run Android apps and interact with Google Assistant and Maps.

There are only two versions of Android Automotive out in the world. Volvo has a version in the XC40 Recharge, and Polestar has a slightly different version in the Polestar 2. However, both versions are based on Android 10, so they’re still a little dated. Both also use a very Volvo-esque design language, so parts of the software, like changing climate controls, are still done through a menu that looks a little outdated.

The new Android 12-based version of the software has improved support for traditional style controls like sliders, dials and other nudge-based controls. It suggests that Google’s software design might one day cover all of the infotainment, hopefully unifying the in-car software design quite a bit. This new version also seems purpose-built for larger displays with a more tablet-style two-column design within some pages.

It’s still unclear when this will roll out, whether automakers will adopt it and if they’ll cover it with their own software skin like Volvo and Polestar do. However, GM and Ford are planning to use Android Automotive, and Volo will continue to innovate on its take on the software as well.

What’s the most interesting is that Google rolled out the Android Automotive platform over a year ago, and Apple has yet to retaliate with something of its own that moves beyond the capabilities of CarPlay. There are tons of rumours about an Apple car and I expect it to be running proprietary software. However, I can’t see Apple sitting back and letting Google take over the car software space, so I’d expect the Cupertino tech giant to release something similar someday as well.

Source: Mishaal Rahman

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Mobile Syrup

Federal government grants funding to three new accessible technology projects

Document Management Data System Business Internet Concept

The Government of Canada is funding new projects to make it easier for Canadians living with disabilities to access the digital economy.

The nearly $754,000 in funding is coming from the Accessible Technology Program (ATP). It’s part of the government’s Innovation and Skills Plan and is focused on creating jobs for middle-class residents.

Technologies HumanWare Inc. will receive $200,000 to create a device that will show raised graphics with multiline Braille text. This will provide users with disabilities access to documents in real-time.

$351,000 will go to the Centre for Equitable Library Access to create a program that will improve voice assistant options and provide more choices for reading materials.

Concordia University is receiving $203,000 to create a chatbot that will respond to information requests.

“By partnering with innovative and caring organizations across the country, Canadians with disabilities will have access to essential high-quality assistive equipment,” François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, said in a statement.

In total, 28 projects have been funded through the ATP program.

Image credit: ShutterStock

Source: Government of Canada

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Mobile Syrup

Nintendo’s The Game Awards sale offers up to 30 percent off big Switch games

To coincide with The Game Awards on December 9th, Nintendo has kicked off a ‘Winner & Nominees’ sale on the eShop.

From the 9th to the 15th, you can save up to 30 percent on digital Switch games, including:

The full list of Winner & Nominees deals can be found here.

More information on The Game Awards, meanwhile, is available here.

Image credit: Capcom

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Mobile Syrup

Instagram will bring back ‘a version’ of its chronological feed next year

Meta-owned Instagram plans to bring back “a version” of its chronological feed next year, according to company head Adam Mosseri.

During a Senate hearing on Instagram and teen safety (via Engadget), Mosseri said he supports “giving people the option to have a chronological feed.”

“We’re currently working on a version of a chronological feed that we hope to launch next year,” said Mosseri, noting that the company had been working on it “for months” and that it aimed to launch the feature in the first quarter of 2022.

Instagram later confirmed to Engadget that it was working on a chronological feed option as well as a ‘favourites’ feed that will surface posts from designated friends. Both will be optional, and Instagram shared on Twitter that it’s adding choices so users “can decide what works best for them.”

The confirmation comes after developer and reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi recently found an Instagram feature that would let users sort their feed by ‘home,’ ‘favourites’ or ‘following.’

It’s not clear if any of those include the chronological feed. Another recent Instagram test saw the company add ‘suggested posts‘ to users’ feeds.

Adding a chronological feed would be a significant shift for Instagram, which previously removed its chronological feed more than five years ago. Since then, Instagram has vigorously defended its algorithmic feed even as it faced increased scrutiny over how its algorithms ranked and suggested content, particularly for younger users.

The move may also be a ploy to ward off potential regulation. Mosseri’s testimony before the Senate comes as part of a wider set of hearings about teen mental health, which has so far heard from executives at Snap, TikTok and YouTube. Further, U.S. Congress introduced a bill in October to strip Section 230 protections from online platforms that recommend harmful content to users.

Regardless, fans of the chronological feed will be happy to hear Instagram is bringing it back. However, it remains to be seen if Instagram’s “version” of a chronological feed will satiate users, if it will be beneficial or if it will perpetuate existing problems with the platform.

Source: Engadget

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Mobile Syrup

You can now use Stadia natively on your LG TV

At CES back in January, LG announced that its TVs will gain native Stadia app support in the second half of 2021.

Well, Stadia, Google’s game streaming service, is now available to download natively for webOS LG Smart TVs directly from the LG Content Store, as announced by Stadia.

LG Smart TV customers with 2020 and newer models that run webOS version 5.0 or 6.0 can access the Stadia app directly on their TV, eliminating the need to use a device like a Chromecast to access the service. Older LG smart TV models will still need to rely on third-party devices to access Stadia.

To play the games, you can use either a regular Bluetooth-enabled controller, including the DualShock 4, Xbox One gamepad, Xbox 360 controller or pair a Stadia Controller. To make things even more convenient, you can also use your smartphone as a controller, thanks to the Stadia Bridge Mode, as confirmed by The Verge.

Further, to enjoy all the benefits of Stadia, including 4K resolution, 5.1 surround sound and HDR, you’ll need to sign up for Stadia Pro. A membership to Stadia Pro will set you back $11.99 per month and includes up to 4K/60fps streaming and several free games every month.

However, Stadia Pro is not mandatory to access the service, as games can be purchased individually and streamed at up to 1080p/60fps. A free one-month trial is also available.

To learn more or to subscribe, click here.

Source: Stadia

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Mobile Syrup

These 9 great gifts are on sale for today only at Best Buy

Not to alarm anyone, but it’s now just over two weeks until Christmas. Don’t worry though, because Best Buy has just released nine deep discounts to help you to snag great gifts without breaking the bank.

These deals are available for today only, so be sure to grab them before they’re gone. Check out the savings below:

OtterBox Alpha Glass Screen Protector for iPhone 12/12 Pro for $24.99 (save $15)

Norton AntiVirus Plus 1 Device 1-Year Subscription for $9.99 (save $40)

NordicTrack S10i Studio Cycle Exercise Bike with 1-Year iFit Subscription for $1199.99 (save $800)

Nikon D3500/D5600 Accessory Kit for $49.99 (save $30)

Digipower Streamer Video Light for $54.99 (save $30)

Insignia 13″ Hard Shell Case for MacBook Pro for $16.99 (save $23)

Insignia Folio Case for Amazon Fire 7″ for $14.99 (save $10)

Samsonite Coastal Sunset 3-Piece Soft Side Expandable Luggage Set for $269.99 (save $320)

SanDisk Extreme PLUS 128GB 150MB/s SDXC Memory Card for $29.99 (save $70)

Image credit: Best Buy

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