Author: Mobile Syrup

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Mobile Syrup

Microsoft EA Publisher and Assassin’s Creed sales discount tons of games

Microsoft is hosting two promotions at the moment: an Electronic Arts (EA) Publisher sale and an Assassin’s Creed Franchise sale, offering titles up to 75 percent off.

The Publisher sale ends on November 1st and the Assassin’s Creed sale ends on October 25th.

Below are some of the notable games from the Publisher’s sale:

To check out more of the Publisher’s games here, click here.

Below are some of the Assassin’s Creed games on sale:

To check out more of the Assassin’s Creed Franchise games here, click here.

Image credit: Ubisoft

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Mobile Syrup

Bell and TSN’s 5G View expands to cover Raptors’ home games

Back in March, Montreal-based national carrier Bell and TSN debuted a new 5G immersive experience for viewing Montréal Canadiens games. Now 5G view is also available for coverage of Toronto Raptors’ home games.

The new 5G View feature, available on the TSN app for iOS and Android, allows fans to select how they view different angles of the game on their smartphones. During a live game, viewers can rewind, rewatch a play, and zoom in at any moment. The new feature debuts its NBA journey with the Raptors’ season opener against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, Oct. 20th at 7pm ET/4pm PT.

To use the new feature, you need to be a TSN subscriber on the Bell 5G network and have a 5G device from Bell.

“We are excited to bring this exciting new game experience to Raptors fans across Canada,” said Nauby Jacob, Bell Media’s senior vice president, product platforms. “With TSN 5G View, fans can experience the game and control what they see from every possible angle, directly from their 5G mobile device.”

The new feature is not limited to live broadcasts. You can experience the same immersive capabilities, including getting close-ups, rewinding or rewatching a play, 360-degree views and much more during showcased highlights during and after the game.

It’s worth noting that TSN will continue to offer the 5G view coverage of Montréal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs’ home games.

You can access the 5G view on the TSN app if you have TSN/RDS included with your TV subscription. If not, you’ll need a TSN Direct subscription to access 5G View, which costs $7.99 per day or $19.99 per month. You can also get an annual subscription for $199.90.

Image credit: TSN

Source: TSN

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Mobile Syrup

You’ll be able to post directly from Instagram web starting October 21

Almost four months after announcing that Instagram users will be able to post content directly from the web, the photo-sharing platform is now rolling out the feature to all users.

When Instagram tested the feature four months ago, only a select number of users had access to it. However, starting October 21st, all Instagram users will be able to post photos and videos from their web browsers.

Once the feature rolls out, you will be able to use Instagram on desktop in the same way you can with its iPhone and Android app, including options to add captions, filters, locations and more.

To use the feature from October 21st onwards, simply visit the Instagram website from a web browser, sign in, and then click the new ‘+’ icon found in the upper right-hand corner. Follow the prompts (similar to the phone app), and you’re good to go.

Further, Instagram is also testing a feature for organizations to create fundraisers. You can start a fundraiser straight from the ‘+’button. You’ll be able to choose a charitable organization and add the fundraiser to your Feed post from there.

Lastly, Instagram is working on releasing “Collabs,” which will allow users to co-author Reels and content posted to the feed. Users can invite other Instagram users to be a collaborator from the tagging page to use the feature. If the other person agrees, both accounts will be included in the post or the Reels header, and the content will be shared with both groups of followers.

The new features are expected to roll out this week.

Image credit: @vishalshahis

Source: TechCrunch

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Mobile Syrup

Cinematic Mode support coming to iMovie for Mac

Apple has updated its iMovie video editing software for Mac to include support for video shot with the iPhone 13’s ‘Cinematic Mode‘ as well as improvements tied to Apple’s new M1 chips.

As reported by AppleInsider, iMovie 10.3 allows users to alter the focus of the subject, adjust the depth-of-field, and even eliminate focal points in videos shot with iPhone 13’s Cinematic Mode.

However, the update is limited to macOS Monterey, which is expected to be available on October 25th, almost four months after its reveal.

Apple introduced Cinematic Mode at its ‘California Streaming’ event alongside the iPhone 13 lineup. Cinematic Mode recognizes when a person enters the frame or when your subject is facing the camera and blurs and focuses the background accordingly. When two people are the frame, Cinematic mode focuses on whoever is closer until the closer subject turns away. The focus then shifts to the further subject in the frame.

iPhone 13 lineup users can manually change focus in a Cinematic Mode video directly from the Photos app on iOS. With iMovie update 10.3, the video editing software for Mac will gain the same capability.

Further, the update optimizes iMovie for Apple’s new M1 Pro and M1 Max chip.

Learn more about iMovie or download it here.

Image credit: Apple

Source: AppleInsider

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Mobile Syrup

New AirPods 3 last a little longer if you disable Spatial Audio

It turns out that Spatial Audio head tracking features use up to an hour of the new AirPods’ battery life.

With the feature turned off, the earbuds work for around six hours, according to Apple. However, if you’re an Apple Music subscriber and listen to new tracks with Spatial Audio enabled, you’ll only get five hours of battery.

This isn’t super detrimental since five hours is still a fairly long time to listen to music straight. What’s more interesting from this discovery is how Apple doesn’t seem to be reporting a similar battery drop for the AirPods Pro, which also features head tracking with Spatial Audio.

This seems new. Did something change with Spatial Audio?

Yes. When Apple announced 3D audio was coming to Apple Music, there was no head tracking involved, so it used less on-earbud-hardware. Then, in late September, the company enabled a feature allowing AirPods Pros and AirPods Max to take advantage of dynamic head tracking.

So while many users are still listing to music in Spatial Audio (Dolby Atmos) with regular headphones, those with AirPods Max, Pros, and now gen 3 AirPods will feel as if the music is coming from their phone or device. This means that when you turn your head, more sound will come out of whatever ear is closer to the device playing music.

Most people without new AirPods will still feel the music move around them if they have supported headphones or earbuds, but AirPods users get to interact with the music subtly. While I haven’t tried it out on the new AirPods, it’s subtly immersive on the AirPods Max and makes Spatial Audio even more appealing than it already was.

Source: 9to5Mac

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Mobile Syrup

The 16-inch MacBook Pro includes Apple’s most powerful charger yet

There’s a little more than expected to the charging bricks included with Apple’s new MacBook Pro laptops.

For example, while the 16.1-inch MacBook Pro’s beefy new 140W charger can charge the upcoming laptop through its MagSafe port, it’s also compatible with the still relatively new USB-C Power Deliver 3.1 standard, according to Apple. On the other hand, the 14.1-inch MacBook Pro features a 67W or 96W charger depending on its configuration.

What’s notable about this is that because Apple has adopted the USB PD 3.1 charging standard, the brick can also fast charge other devices. According to The Verge, this means that the new MacBook Pro will be completely compatible with third-party chargers.

The publication goes on to say that the new MacBook Pro’s charging brick is a gallium nitrade (GaN), allowing third-party companies to build higher-powered chargers that are smaller.

Apple says that the 14.1-inch MacBook Pro can fast charge through its USB-C ports, but that the 16.1-inch version of the laptop requires the MagSafe 3 port for fast charging. Lower wattage chargers can be used with both laptops, but like previous versions of the MacBook, they’ll result in the laptop charging more slowly.

Apple sells its 140W USB-C Power Adapter separately for $119. Apple also sells the new MacBook Pro’s USB-C to MagSafe charging cable for $50.

As someone who prefers to travel with a few chargers as possible, this is definitely good news.

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Mobile Syrup

Best Buy is selling an $80 Fisher-Price phone that actually works

On the same day that Google officially unveiled its Pixel 6 series — and during an unprecedentedly jam-packed week of major tech events — an iconic manufacturer has emerged to re-introduce a returning champion to the mobile phone market.

You guessed it: Fisher-Price is making a functional version of its Chatter Telephone children’s toy.

Featuring unsettling “wobbly eyes,” a retro rotary dial, and a rainbow colour palette (eat your heart out, Apple) the device uses Bluetooth technology to pair with your actual smartphone to make and receive calls.

In terms of features and tech specs, Chatter sports a handy speakerphone button, is USB rechargeable, and (according to a promotional image shared by Engadget) boasts a 9 hours battery life.

Fisher-Price is marketing this funky little friend as “the first-ever ‘mobile’ phone” — because of the wheels, get it? —  and “a real-working phone for a real adult desk.”

The phone will be exclusively sold at Best Buy. In Canada, Chatter is scheduled for a December 1st release and will retail for a ludicrous, if still tempting, $79.99.

Via: Engadget

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Mobile Syrup

Quebec’s new vaccine QR code natively supports Apple’s Wallet and Health app

Quebec has rolled out a new vaccine QR that is natively supported by Apple’s Wallet and Health app.

There’s a catch, though: you need to be running iOS 15.1. The latest version of Apple’s OS is currently only via public beta, although it’s set for a wide release sometime next week.

To start, you’ll need to download the Quebec vaccination QR code on desktop here. Once you’ve done that, select ‘download your paper proof for use outside Quebec,’ then scan the QR code with your iPhone’s camera app. Tap the ‘Health’ button that appears and follow the instructions to add the code to your Wallet and the Health app.

This gives Quebec iOS users an official vaccine QR code solution, given that the previous one was a third-party workaround.

If you’re in Ontario, here’s what you should know about the Ford government’s own solution, the Verify Ontario app.

Via: iPhone in Canada

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Mobile Syrup

Google’s 512GB Pixel 6 Pro isn’t available in Canada

Google’s recently revealed Pixel 6 Pro isn’t available in the 512GB variant in Canada.

In the U.S., the Pixel 6 Pro is sold in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage options, but north of the U.S. border, we’re stuck with 128GB and 256GB variants.

It’s unclear why Google didn’t opt to release the 512GB version of the Pixel 6 Pro here, but it likely has something to do with the ongoing chip shortage or that the Canadian market is much smaller than the United States’.

In the U.S., the 512GB model starts at $1,099 USD, which comes to roughly $1,359 CAD.

On the other hand, the Pixel 6 is available in 128GB and 256GB variants both in the U.S. and Canada. If you’ve been trying to buy the sought-after new smartphones through the Google Store, it’s likely the experience hasn’t been entirely smooth. Some would-be Pixel 6 buyers have reported error messages and sometimes inaccurate out-of-stock messages in the store.

The Pixel 6 starts at $799 and the 6 Pro starts at $1,179. Both smartphones will release in Canada on October 28th.

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Mobile Syrup

Xbox Game Pass now has 100+ touch control titles

Microsoft has revealed the next wave of titles coming to Xbox Game Pass today which will also drive the number of games supporting Xbox touch control to over 100.

The company is adding 13 more titles to its roster of touch-enabled games, increasing the total to more than 100, marking a record high for Xbox Game Pass.

Touch controls were originally introduced with the launch of Xbox Cloud Gaming (xCloud) about a year ago. Touch-enabled titles enable Xbox Game Pass subscribers to stream games without a controller on Windows PCs, iOS devices, and Android phones and tablets. The titles offer gyro aim controls with the ability to rearrange and resize on-screen controls.

Since then, Xbox has consistently added touch-enabled games to its subscription service, with 13 new titles added today.

Check them out below:

  • Art of Rally
  • Boyfriend Dungeon
  • Crown Trick
  • Curse of the Dead Gods
  • Gears Tactics
  • Lethal League Blaze
  • Signs of the Sojourner
  • The Ascent
  • Train Sim World 2
  • Yakuza 0
  • Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
  • Yakuza Kiwami
  • Yakuza Kiwami 2

Find all touch-enabled titles on Xbox Game Pass here.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which includes first-party Microsoft games, third-party titles, cloud gaming and EA Play costs $16.99 CAD per month.

Further, Xbox also unveiled other titles coming to the platform later this month. Check them out below:

  • Dragon Ball FighterZ (Cloud and Console) – October 21
  • Echo Generation (Cloud, Console, and PC) – October 21
  • Everspace 2 (Game Preview) (PC) – October 21
  • Age of Empires IV (PC) – October 28
  • Alan Wake’s American Nightmare (Console and PC) – October 28
  • Backbone (Console) – October 28
  • Bassmaster Fishing 2022 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – October 28
  • Nongunz: Doppelganger Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC) – October 28
  • The Forgotten City (Cloud, Console, and PC) – October 28

Image credit: Xbox

Source: Xbox