Author: Mobile Syrup

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Mobile Syrup

Dune continues to be the internet’s most pirated movie

If you pirated Dune recently, it looks like you aren’t alone.

While the sand-filled film continues to top the box office, it’s also dominating the piracy charts. The Warner Bros./Legendary movie production based on Frank Herbert’s sci-fi novel and directed by Canadian director Denis Villeneuve is the most pirated movie in the world for the second week in a row, according to TorrentFreak.

Across HBO Max (which isn’t available in Canada) and its theatrical release, Dune has earned $292 million USD (about $361 million CAD) so far. In Canada, specifically, it remains unclear when Dune will make its way to Bell-owned Crave. Last year, Warner Bros. Canada confirmed that its 2021 films will follow a traditional release schedule that includes a theatrical-first run, followed by sale/rental options, a physical release and, finally, — at least in Canada — exclusive streaming on Crave.

With this in mind, it will probably be several months before Dune hits Crave, and when it does, it more than likely won’t be available in 4K on all devices and will also stream in a less than stellar bitrate.

In the United States, Dune was released simultaneously in theatres and HBO Max on October 22nd.

Amusingly, the poorly-received Dune (1984) has hit Crave’s most-watched movies chart. In other Crave-related news, the streaming service recently revamped its streaming subscription options to remove the basic $9.99 tier.

In its place is a $9.99 mobile-only option that offers HBO/Crave content and a more expensive $19.99 per month tier that features the same content but that works on more than just mobile.

Image credit: Warner Bros./Legendary

Source: TorrentFreak 

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Mobile Syrup

Ryan Reynolds releases billboard and website calling for Mint Mobile in Canada

Ryan Reynolds wants your help to bring his U.S.-based Mint Mobile telecom company to Canada.

The Vancouver-born actor has launched a billboard in downtown Toronto (at Yonge and Edward) to promote Mint Mobile. “Why not Mint?” reads the ad, which also features Reynolds looking quizzically into a phone alongside mention of “mintmobile.ca.”

Head to that website and you’ll see a short ad with Reynolds in a cubicle taking phone calls. In the video, Reynolds notes that many Canadians have asked why Mint — which is well-known in the U.S. for offering low-cost phone plans — isn’t available in his home country. “Canadians pay some of the highest wireless costs anywhere,” acknowledges Reynolds.

“I kinda wanna say call your representative — is that too aggressive? I’m not saying call your representative, but I’m also not-not saying that.”

The Mint website also offers a link so you can “find your representative,” although it requests that you “please be nice,” if you do contact them.

This isn’t the first time Reynolds has spoken about potentially bringing Mint to Canada. In September 2020, he said he was actively “working” on making that happen. While he didn’t get into specifics, he’s no doubt been running into issues with Canada’s complicated telecom industry, which is dominated by the likes of Rogers, Bell and Telus. Mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) like Mint have historically been unable to operate in Canada.

While the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approved a new access model in April that would require big telecom to provide MVNOs with access to their networks, the catch was that they’d need to have invested in network infrastructure and spectrum. This decision received criticism from a number of groups, as they argued that this ultimately still benefits “Big Telecom.”

It’s unclear what influence, if any, Reynolds and his fans might have on the government.

Via: @Bryson_M

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Mobile Syrup

Tesla launches more efficient Solar Roof tiles. Still not coming to Canada…

A leaked spec sheet that made its way into the hands of Electrek claims that Tesla has developed a new Solar Roof tile that can output 22 percent more electricity per tile than the previous version.

This means that the company can use fewer expensive solar tiles when building a roof, which, in a perfect world, should bring down the cost of the expensive roofing material and mean less electrical connections and labour upon installation. While 22 percent isn’t the most significant jump, it could still result in a few fewer tiles per roof.

When visiting Tesla’s website, there’s no mention of the new tiles, and as always in Canada, you’re unable to order any of Tesla’s solar products. Instead, your only option is to sign up for updates.

The one silver lining we can take away from this upgraded solar material is that Tesla appears to be actively still working on this project, suggesting that someday it may finally release in Canada.

Source: Electrek

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Mobile Syrup

Best Buy just launched its ‘Black Friday Month’ sale

Best Buy is currently offering a ‘Black Friday Month’ sale with discounts on TVs, gaming laptops, monitors, headphones and more. Check out some deals from the sale below:

TV

Find all TVs on sale here.

Laptops

Gaming laptops

Find all laptops on sale here.

PCs

Gaming PCs

Find all PCs on sale here.

Monitors

Find all monitors on sale here.

Tablets

Find all tablets on sale here.

Headphones

Find all headphones on sale here.

Several other product categories that aren’t mentioned in the list above, including smart home accessories, video games, wearables, cameras and drones are on sale too. Find all deals under the ‘Black Friday Month’ sale here.

It’s worth noting that products on the list have varying ‘sale end dates.’ Make sure you check when the sale price is ending if you’re going to sit on the idea of purchasing a device.

Image credit: Best Buy

Source: Best Buy

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Mobile Syrup

Samsung has reportedly started mass producing Galaxy S22 parts

Samsung could reportedly launch its Galaxy S22 as early as January 2022.

The report comes from the Netherland-based publication, WinFuture, which says that Samsung has started mass producing the Galaxy S22’s parts. The components in question are flex cables that reportedly connect to various circuit boards inside the still-year-to-be-revealed smartphone series.

Additionally, WinFuture says that tens of thousands of Galaxy S22 components have already been manufactured.

It appears that Samsung is currently creating components for all S22 and the S22+ variants, but for regarding the S22 Ultra, the company is focusing on the US variant.

The report also states that the S22 series could launch in January, but SamMobile previously reported the handset will release in February.

According to previous rumours, the S22 series will feature a 120Hz refresh rate display, IP68 water and dust resistance, a triple-camera setup for the S22 and S22+ and a quad-camera setup for the S22 Ultra.

Source: WinFuture

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Mobile Syrup

Toronto-based smart home company Ecobee to be acquired by U.S.-based Generac

Toronto-based smart home device company Ecobee will be acquired by U.S.-based Generac Holdings for $770 million USD (roughly $952 million CAD), as first reported by BetaKit.

Generac will reportedly pay $200 million (about $245 million CAD) in cash and $450 million (roughly $556 million CAD) in common stock to Ecobee’s equity holders. Generac Holdings is known for creating home generators.

Ecobee, founded in 2007, is best known for its several smart home thermostats, though recently, the company released a smart home camera. It also sells an Alexa and Siri-enabled version of its SmartThermostat. For Apple-powered Siri voice activation, a HomePod mini is required.

According to BetaKit, Ecobee says its devices are used in more than two million homes across North America, and the company currently has over 500 employees globally.

“Generac’s evolution into an energy technology solutions company creates many opportunities to integrate our ecobee products with their residential device offerings, enabling direct monitoring and control of a significant portion of the home’s electrical load,” said Stuart Lombard, founder and chief executive officer of ecobee, in a press release.

In a smart home industry full of massive players like Google, Amazon and Apple, Ecobee remained one of the few independent hardware manufacturers in the space. It’s currently unclear how this acquisition will affect Ecobee moving forward.

For more on the acquisition, check out BetaKit’s extensive coverage.

Source: BetaKit

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Mobile Syrup

Apple’s mixed reality headset could launch in early 2022

Apple’s often-rumoured mixed reality headset could release in early 2022, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, an often-reliable source of leaks.

In his latest PowerOn newsletter, Gurman says that Apple’s AR/VR headset will be expensive and that it includes high-end components and features. He goes on to say that it’s possible the rumoured device could be revealed as early as next year and that it will be able to handle “high-quality” VR titles.

Rumours regarding Apple’s mixed reality headset have swirled for several years at this point, with some speculation pointing to it featuring a pair of 8K displays and a price in the $3,900 USD (about $3,852 CAD) range. In a sense, rumours surrounding Apple’s mixed reality headset paint a picture of a device that sounds like a higher-end version of the Oculus Quest 2.

Along with a more traditional AR/VR headset, Apple is also rumoured to have plans to launch augmented reality glasses “years down the road,” according to Gurman’s newsletter.

With rumours surrounding Apple’s AR/VR ambitions appearing so frequently, it’s almost certain that there’s at least some level of truth to them. However, what remains unclear is when we’ll actually catch our first glimpse of the device.

Source: Bloomberg 

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Mobile Syrup

Apple no longer sells 21.5-inch iMac

Apple has taken down its store listing for the 21.5-inch iMac.

The computer has been officially replaced by the 24-inch iMac with an M1 chip that Apple released earlier this year. That said, if you’re still looking to get your hands on the now-dead iMac, you can a few configurations are still available in Apple’s online Refurbished Store. However, I’d expect them also to sell out rather quickly.

This means that the only Intel iMac that Apple sells is the 27-inch that starts at $2,200 roughly in Canada. With the way things are going, I’d expect it to be replaced with an M-series chip at some point in the next 12-months.

Logically with the M1 Max and M1 Pro chipsets, Apple could even redesign the ageing Intel machine and replace it with its own chips for professionals.

Source: Apple Store Via: Apple Insider

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Mobile Syrup

Android 12’s November security update is rolling out to Pixel devices

Android 12’s November security patch is now available for Pixel devices.

In Google’s new Android Security & Privacy Year in Review, the company noted that there are “no critical security vulnerabilities affecting the Android platform were publicly disclosed without a security update or mitigation available for Android devices.”

The update is available for the Pixel 3a, Pixel 4, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a (5G), Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro smartphones.

You can check out the November 2021 Android Security Bulletin, here.

As always, the update is available over-the-air or via factory image.

Source: Android 12

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Mobile Syrup

Several TTC services are still down following ransomware attack

After being targeted by a ransomware attack on Thursday, October 28th, the Toronto Transit Commission’s (TTC) Wheel-Trans online booking site, trip-planning applications, and other communications services are still offline.

According to a statement released Saturday evening, the TTC first realized that its services are under attack on Thursday night when an IT employee discovered “unusual network activity.” According to the TTC, the attack initially had a “minimal” impact but got worse by mid-Friday.

The attack knocked out the TTC’s Vision System, which is used to communicate with vehicle operators. As of now, the TTC is using radio backup to communicate with its employees. The ‘Next Vehicle Information System’ on station screens, the TTC website, and the TTC’s internal email service are among the other services that have also been compromised.

“So if you’re trying to use one of the apps on your phone, and you’re waiting at a bus stop you will not see the next vehicle arriving or you may see something but it won’t be accurate, as well as the internal emails that are down so we have no network service,” said Stuart Green, TTC Spokesperson in a statement given to CP24.

The transit agency is working with law enforcement and cybersecurity professionals, including the City of Toronto’s IT department and Darktrace to resolve the problem and figure out what caused the assault. “As transit systems bounce back from the massive lull in ridership during the pandemic, they become an enticing target for ransomware actors,” said Darktrace’s director of strategic threat, Marcus Fowler in a statement given to MobileSyrup. ”

Anytime a ransomware attack can create a real-world impact, such as long lines or service disruption, cyber-criminals will likely demand higher ransom, with the expectation that victims will pay quickly. For the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), thankfully, they reported no significant transit service disruption.”

Via: CP24