Nintendo’s Japanese Super Nintendo World theme park will soon get an ape-filled expansion.
Set to open in 2024 is a new Donkey Kong-themed area. The new section of the park will feature a roller coaster, interactive experiences and themed merchandise and food.
“Guests will be able to take a walk on the wild side through the lush jungles where Donkey Kong and his friends live,” reads Nintendo’s blog post regarding the announcement.
This new addition will increase the theme park’s size by 70 percent, says Nintendo.
Nintendo’s Donkey Kong franchised started back in 1981 as an arcade game. Donkey Kong has been featured in several titles across Nintendo’s consoles following his arcade debut, including the Donkey Kong Country series and Donkey Kong 64.
Since its inception, the series has sold more than 65 million units.
Sonos and Ikea are back again with a successor to the Symfonisk table lamp from 2019. The new version of the lamp features AirPlay 2 support, new shade options and better sound quality.
The new shades are more cylindrical than the original version, and there’s a transparent glass option with a fogged centre column that diffuses the light. The other shade fabric features a translucent centre column to help diffuse its lighting. It’s a little hard to explain if you haven’t seen the first-gen table lamp, but this refreshed version looks nicer than the original and I really like the symmetry in the fabric version.
Ikea says that it found most people were using the Symfonisk on their nightstand and that made the company shrink down the base of the lamp to make it easier to place in some instances.
The other change this year beyond the addition of AirPlay 2 and slightly better sound quality, is that Ikea sells the more decorative shades. This means that the lamp costs $160, the glass shade is an extra $40 and the textile option is $20.
Overall, this is one of my favourite Sonos speakers and one that I think more people will likely get use out of compared to the weird wall art attempt from earlier this year.
It will be interesting to see if Ikea sells the bookshelf version of the Symfonisk that was originally priced at $149, just a little cheaper than the new lamp without a shade. The old lamp was priced at $249, so the new version seems to split the middle between the two original Symfonisk speakers. This suggests to me that Ikea will only sell the new lamp and the frame moving forward.
The lamps will start being sold at Ikea Canada locations on October 12th.
Bell is warning that some internet service providers (ISPs) are dragging their feet and could prevent Quebec’s “Operation High Speed” initiative from meeting its September 2022 deadline.
In a press release ostensibly meant to update the public on Bell’s contributions to the initiative, the carrier made a point of suggesting that while it was on track, some of the other ISPs involved were not carrying their weight.
While no specific companies are named and shamed, it’s public knowledge that the project is a joint effort between the Canadian and Quebec governments, and the following ISPs: Bell, Cogeco, Sogetel, Telus, Vidéotron and Xplornet.
The press release includes a quote from Karine Moses, Bell’s Vice Chair, Québec, who says there’s a “need for all ISPs involved to step up their game quickly” or else the initiative’s deadline could get “pushed back significantly.”
First announced in March 2021, “Operation High Speed” is an $826.3 million investment aimed at connecting 150,000 Quebec homes to high-speed internet by September 2022.
This past July, the federal and provincial government topped off the fund with an extra $94 million investment to hook up an additional 18,200 households.
A published Google patent shows that the Mountain View company is working on a new Pixel tablet, spotted by LetsGoDigital. Following that, Giuseppe Spinelli, aka Snoreyn, made renders of the patent of Google.
The device has nice rounded corners with a good grip, according to the patent. Additionally, the patent lacks buttons and a rear-facing camera and also sports a selfie shooter.
There are also stereo speakers at the bottom and the top and a USB-C connection placed at the bottom.
The patent dates back to March 2019 and has been approved and released by the Japan Patent Office until June 28th, 2019 (JPO).
It’s unclear if Google is still planning to launch this tablet, and there are no other rumours about it, so it’s unlikely they’ll unveil this device at the next Made by Google event.
Microsoft has started testing Xbox Cloud Gaming, also called xCloud, integration with Xbox consoles.
Some Xbox Insiders in the ‘Alpha Skip-Ahead’ and ‘Alpha’ rings will gain access to xCloud starting September 28th. xCloud allows paying subscribers to stream games over the internet to their Xbox console (it also works on mobile devices and computers).
More than just game streaming, xCloud integration could allow Xbox owners to ‘try before they buy’ without needing to download a full game or a demo. Plus, cloud-based gaming could bring other benefits, such as letting players jump straight into a game with a friend just from an invite.
Over 100 Xbox Game Pass titles will be available as part of the initial xCloud test. Xbox Insiders will be able to tell which games support xCloud by looking for a cloud icon on the game art (it should appear in the bottom-right corner opposite the ‘Game Pass’ logo).
Like other platforms, Xbox consoles will support streams up to 1080p at 60fps, and the company appears to be pushing it more as a feature for trying games rather than as a replacement for console gaming.
Microsoft says xCloud integration will appear on all Xbox consoles by the end of the year. In other words, Xbox One owners will eventually be able to stream Xbox Series X and S exclusives — that could go a long way towards making it a proper game demo feature and help push users towards upgrading their console to get access to fancy new games.
Samsung has announced that it successfully tested a way to improve Wi-Fi service on fast-moving subway trains using 5G mmWave for backhaul.
The company ran a trial in South Korea, demonstrated that 5G could help significantly boost legacy Wi-Fi service in crowded, public settings. According to a press release from Samsung, the test saw Wi-Fi downlink speeds of 1.8Gbps using a Galaxy S21 Ultra on a moving subway train, an impressive 25 times faster than the current average of 71Mbps.
Samsung used its ‘Compact Macro‘ hardware to help boost Wi-Fi speeds using the ultra-high capacity of 5G mmWave. The test covered five stations on the subway line through downtown Seoul. It also used 800Mhz of the 28GHz spectrum band.
As a quick refresher, spectrum refers to radio wave frequencies used by cellular networks to transmit data to and from mobile devices. With 5G, mmWave represents high-capacity but low-range spectrum — you can read more about the differences between mmWave and Sub-6 5G here.
While Samsung’s test is certainly impressive, it could be a long time before we see anything like that here in Canada. First, Canadian carriers have only just gained access to some Sub-6 5G spectrum and it’ll be a while before Canadians start getting access to it — mmWave remains even further away.
And if that wasn’t enough, the Big Three still refuse to offer service in Toronto’s TTC subway lines because the city contracted BAI Canada to manage connectivity. Along with free Wi-Fi through TConnect, BAI worked with Shaw’s Freedom Mobile to bring service to customers on the TTC, while Rogers, Bell and Telus previously indicated they’d rather install their own systems than use BAI’s.
BAI could install the Samsung hardware itself, but since it leverages 5G backhaul to boost speeds, the company would likely need a 5G-capable carrier partner too.
Tudum announced the return of Christ Hemsworth with "Extraction 2". Coming soon to our screens!
Netflix has provided what it says is its “most comprehensive look so far” at viewership information for its most-watched content.
Speaking at Vox Media’s Code Conference in Los Angeles on Monday, Netflix co-CEO and chief content officer Ted Sarandos shared some slides detailing its top 10 movies and shows. The first slide displayed data based on Netflix’s commonly shared measurement of the number of viewers of a given title in its first 28 days.
For example, it says 82 million accounts watched the Shonda Rhimes period drama series Bridgerton, while 99 million tuned into the Chris Hemsworth action flick Extraction.
The company counts anyone who watched a movie or show for at least two minutes as a “viewer,” which it argues is sufficient time to gauge that a user was interested in it. However, this measurement has come under fire for being vague and unindicative of a title’s larger popularity. Netflix’s unique status as a streamer allows it to avoid the transparency of traditional film and TV productions, whose performances are more precisely and publicly measured through firms like Nielsen and box office trackers.
At the Code Conference, Sarandos acknowledged these criticisms, noting that Netflix’s streaming data is “a big black box, mostly.” He claimed that the company is “trying to be more transparent with talent, with the market.”
With that in mind, Sarandos’ second slide revealed total time spent viewing by hours within that initial 28-day window, which is data that Netflix has never before released.
In this table, Bridgerton is said to have accumulated 625 million hours’ worth of viewership, while Extraction (second behind Bird Box) racked up 231 million. This gives a somewhat clearer idea of the demand for particular movies or shows.
However, this still doesn’t provide a full picture. For example, providing such a general figure forviewership doesn’t account for how many people actually finish Netflix content. Given Netflix’s mass global availability and 200-plus million subscribers, it’s inevitable that at least some people started a show or movie but never actually saw it through to the end.
Transparency with this type of data is important for creatives and talent as they look to what companies they’ll sign with in the increasingly saturated streaming market. It remains to be seen how the industry responds to Netflix revealing this new viewership data and how the streamer might continue to become more forthcoming with it.
Details about Google’s upcoming Pixel 6 and 6 Pro pricing have leaked, giving us an idea of just how much the smartphone may cost.
The info comes from YouTuber Brandon Lee (This is Tech Today), who cited a source working for a cellular retailer in Europe. According to the source, the Pixel 6 will cost around €649, while the Pixel 6 Pro may cost €899 (roughly $960.37 and $1,330.31 CAD respectively). Lee also recently shared a video clip of a prototype Pixel 6 Pro.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that converting the cost of a phone in one currency to another isn’t usually accurate to how much a device will actually cost in a country. In other words, Google may charge less (or more!) than $960 for the Pixel 6 in Canada.
As an example, the Pixel 5 costs $799 in Canada (although it’s currently not available on the Google Store). In Europe, the Pixel 5 costs €629, or about $930.78 CAD.
The bigger takeaway from this leak is that Google will likely price the Pixel 6 slightly higher than the Pixel 5, which is pretty great news considering the Pixel 6 is supposed to be a more flagship device.
As for the Pixel 6 Pro, it seems priced accordingly for a higher-end flagship, although it remains to be seen how the phone will stack up against other similarly priced handsets. Assuming the pricing information is accurate, and the 6 Pro retails for around $1,300 in Canada, that would put it in the same price range as Samsung’s Galaxy S21+ and the iPhone 13 Pro.
Of course, that assumes the pricing is correct. Given how leaks and rumours have panned out so far this year, I wouldn’t put a lot of confidence in this information — things could change before Google launches the phone.
Along with the pricing, Lee’s source also noted that the Pixel 6’s black and green colours were labelled ‘carbon’ and ‘fog’ in the retailer’s system. It’s not clear if those are the actual colour names Google has for the phone, but both names would fall in line with the search giant’s naming convention for its other products. However, the Pixel line, historically, has had cheeky names like ‘Clearly White’ and ‘Just Black.’ We may see the same with the Pixel 6 series — ‘Certainly Carbon’ and ‘Frankly Fog,’ anyone?
Amazon held a pretty lacklustre fall hardware event that was capped off with a small robot named Astro that’s a combination of several Amazon products in one robot.
It’s not just any generic robot either; Astro is super cute and features a shape that’s very similar to Disney’s Wall-E robot, including its friendly attitude. There are even two cupholders on the back of the undeniably cute robot.
Beyond that, the little robot also includes a camera that can raise up to scan your home and look for intruders. Amazon also outlined how the robot can also be used for video calls.
Of course, since Astro is an Amazon product, it’s also an Alexa-capable speaker, allowing it to do anything an Echo device is capable of.
Like the Ring drone Amazon revealed last year that patrols your house, you can also ask Astro to do laps around your home when you’re away to give you a more complete view of your house without having to setup several security cameras.
During the presentation, Amazon also talked about how difficult it was for the company to master Astro’s movement. The company says it took a lot of time to develop the algorithms to make the robot navigate homes effectively.
Amazon says that Astro is its first robot, but that it won’t be its last. The company is hoping to push further into the in-home robot space over the next five years.
Astro will only be available in the U.S. for $1,449 USD (roughly $1,838 CAD).
Click here to read more of our coverage from the September 28th Amazon event.
If you — or a little person in your life — ever wanted to ask Olaf from Frozen what the weather is today, then oh boy, are you in luck.
At a September 28th product event, Amazon announced a new partnership with Disney related to its Echo voice-activated devices.
Those who own an Amazon Echo device will soon be able to say ‘Hey Disney’ to access a series of new features, activities and character voices.
The new ‘Hey Disney’ service, which includes “original character voice recordings and audio” and “over 1,000 magical interactions” is expected to be available to purchase in 2022, though there’s no word yet on what the mouse-themed add-on will cost.
Meanwhile, in an announcement designed specifically to make ‘Disney Dads’ run upstairs in their sensible arch-supporting walking shoes to grab their fannypacks, Amazon says that all Walt Disney World Resort hotel rooms will also be equipped with ‘Hey Disney’ Echo devices.
Disney World guests can use the Echo devices in their rooms — likely docked in the newly released Mickey-themed Echo Show 5 stands — to access voice-activated hospitality services powered by Alexa’s AI software.
Everyone else can also pre-order the stands now for $24.99 USD (roughly $31.72 CAD).
And if that’s not enough Disney x Amazon collab news for you, the Seattle-based tech multinational has also apparently literally made a real-life version of Wall-E?
Click here to read more of our coverage from the September 28th Amazon event.
