Author: Mobile Syrup

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Mobile Syrup

TikTok’s new update will only let teens access 60 minutes of screen time a day

TikTok is trusting teenagers to limit the time they spend on the popular social media app.

Accounts belonging to users under the age of 18 will automatically have their daily screen time limited to 60 minutes in an update the company will roll out “in the coming weeks.” When they reach the limit, they’ll have to enter a passcode to continue watching. Doing so will require “them to make an active decision to extend that time.”

Teens can disable the feature, but TikTok wants those consuming more than 100 minutes of content daily to set a screen time limit of their choosing.

The remainder builds on a screen break tool the company launched last summer.

TikTok will also subject users under the age of 13 to the time limit. However, a parent or guardian will need to create a passcode or enter an existing one to allow for an additional 30 minutes of watch time.

All teen accounts will receive a weekly recap of their screen time through their inbox.

The company will also expand parental control through three new “Family Pairing” features. The category allows parents to link their TikTok accounts with their teens to monitor and control their activity. The new features include a custom daily screen time limit, access to the screen time dashboard, and mute notifications.

Source: TikTok

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Mobile Syrup

Intel’s upcoming chips reportedly support Windows 12: leak

Image credit: Intel

Intel and Microsoft could be preparing for Windows 12, at least going by details shared in a recent leak.

As detailed by The Verge, leaker ‘@leaf_hobby‘ — who previously revealed the full specs of Intel’s Xeon chips before launch — shared information about Intel’s upcoming Meteor Lake desktop chips. Intel internally mentions that the next-gen CPUs will support Windows 12, per the leak.

Although the tweet was deleted, The Verge cites details from VideoCardz that Meteor Lake is also expected to include 20 PCIe Gen5 lanes. Intel and Microsoft declined The Verge’s request for comment on the leaks.

Despite there being no official announcement from Microsoft about Windows 12, it’s worth noting that there will likely be a new version of Windows in the near future. The company reportedly moved back to a three-year release cycle after ditching that approach with Windows 10 — with that in mind, Windows 12 could arrive in 2024.

At the same time, Intel’s Meteor Lake is expected later this year or early in 2024, which means the timing would line up with a potential Windows 12 launch. Meteor Lake will be an important milestone for Intel as the company moves to its ‘Intel 4’ 7nm node and to a ‘chiplet’ design with separate dies for the CPU cores, integrated graphics and input/output. Intel previously said it’d push to include AI capabilities as well.

This lends further credence to the Meteor Lake and Windows 12 integration. Again, Microsoft hasn’t provided any details about Windows 12, but the company has made a strong push in AI software, most notably with the ChatGPT-powered Bing Chat, which recently arrived on Windows 11. Microsoft’s head of consumer marketing, Yusuf Mehdi, told The Verge earlier this week that Microsoft was looking at ways to integrate AI-powered features in future versions of Windows too.

Coupled with AMD’s recent Ryzen 7000 mobile chips, which include a dedicated AI engine, it’s no surprise Intel’s working on its own AI capabilities to support Windows features.

Header image credit: Intel

Source: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

Twitter’s new violent content policy leaves questions on enforcement measures

Twitter has made changes to its rules on violent content under a new strategy.

The Violent Speech policy bans violent threats, wishes of harm, glorification of violence, and incitement of violence, the company announced through its @TwitterSafety page.

“Twitter has a zero-tolerance approach towards Violent Speech, and in most cases, we will suspend any account violating this policy,” the company tweeted. “For less severe violations, we may require you to delete the content before you can access your account again.”

The platform encourages users to report tweets that violate the policy but says users can petition the process if they believe Twitter made a mistake.

But the guidelines are a little murky.

In an explainer posted on its website, Twitter said users are allowed to express violent speech as long as they don’t include “abusive or violent context.” For example, “consensual speech” in discussions about video games or sports is allowed.

The policy also outlines satire is allowed as long as it’s “expressing a viewpoint.”

It’s unclear how exactly this will be judged, given Elon Musk’s treatment of people expressing their personal views. Late last year, he banned several journalists critical of him from accessing the platform.

The policy says accounts violating the measures will be suspended in most cases. However, it gives grace to activity that might “prompt outrage.”

“We also recognize that conversations regarding certain individuals credibly accused of severe violence may prompt outrage and associated violent speech. In these limited cases, we may take less punitive measures.”

Source: Twitter

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Mobile Syrup

‘Mega March’ PlayStation Store promotion is now live

The PlayStation Store’s ‘Mega March’ sale is now live with solid discounts on a total of 851 items, including games, add-ons, bundles and more.

The sale starts Wednesday, March 1st and runs until Thursday, March 16th. Check out some of the deals from the sale below:

Image credit: Deep Silver

Source: PlayStation Store

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Mobile Syrup

Canadian shows like Schitt’s Creek and Kim’s Convenience have left Netflix Canada

Six Canadian TV shows have been removed from Netflix in Canada.

As of March 1st, Schitt’s Creek, Kim’s Convenience, Murdoch Mysteries, Heartland, When Calls the Heart and The Great Canadian Baking Show are no longer on the streaming service.

In a statement to Daily Hive, a spokesperson for CBC, the network behind all six shows, confirmed that it opted not to renew its licence with Netflix. “CBC now wants to privilege its own free streaming platform for audiences in Canada,” said the spokesperson, referring to CBC’s Gem service.

Sure enough, all of these shows are available to stream on CBC Gem for free with ads or for $4.99/month ad-free. As the spokesperson points out, the Netflix licencing deal for many of these shows was made before CBC Gem even launched. Despite this, the spokesperson said CBC would still work with Netflix and other streamers on series like Workin’ Moms and Fakes.

These are the latest prominent shows to leave Netflix due to expiring licences. Last month, Netflix confirmed that all five seasons of Arrested Development, including the two produced exclusively for its service, are leaving its catalogue on March 15th. And last year, once-Netflix original shows like Marvel’s Daredevil and Marvel’s Jessica Jones left the service to go to Disney+.

This has all come amid a bumpy period for Netflix. In 2022, the streamer had two consecutive quarters of subscriber losses, although it did bounce back and beat subscriber expectations in its most recent quarter. However, the company has also faced steep competition from the plethora of other streaming services on the market, including Disney+, Amazon’s Prime Video, Hulu and HBO Max.

As part of its efforts to cut costs, the company has cancelled a slew of shows and, more controversially, started to crack down on password sharing in Canada. The latter move has resulted in many people saying they’ll cancel Netflix to avoid paying extra to share their accounts.

Image credit: CBC

Source: Daily Hive

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Mobile Syrup

Access Communications’ gigabit internet now available to more Saskatchewan communities

Dozens of communities across Saskatchewan can now access gigabit internet from Access Communications Co-operative.

AccessHyperSpeed 1Gig internet is available in 25 communities, including Biggar, Delisle, and Grenfell.

“For many of these communities, the fastest service currently available from other providers is 50 Mbps, the minimum recommended by the CRTC,” company CEO Carmela Haines said. “Our gigabit service, in contrast, is the fastest we offer anywhere in the province. These launches will represent a technological leap for the underserved parts of our province.”

The expansion means the company offers gigabit internet to 43 communities in Saskatchewan. More than 100 communities also have access to download speeds of at least 450 Mbps.

Image credit: Access Communications

Source: Access Communications

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Mobile Syrup

Union representing Telus workers seeking vote to strike

Telus employees part of the United Steelworkers, Local 1944 union, will soon vote on possible strike action.

“Despite repeated attempts, Telus has persistently declined to resume negotiations, leaving us with no alternative but to take decisive action,” an update on the union’s website states.

The union says they have been bargaining with the company to create local jobs and provide fair wages for months but have yet to seek a resolution.

Earlier this year, union members participated in a solidarity rally at the Telus Mobility building in Burnaby, B.C. Similar rallies took place across the country.

“Thanks to your unwavering support, our union is now stronger and more cohesive than it has ever been,” the update reads. “The number of members rising up to take action for themselves and their coworkers continues to grow day over day, week over week. As we’ve demonstrated, we are unstoppable and relentless.”

Union members across the country will cast their votes over Zoom.

Source: USW Local 1944

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Mobile Syrup

Rogers offering Galaxy S23 for $0/mo with trade-in and Upfront Edge

Rogers has a deal on the Samsung Galaxy S23 right now that lets customers get the phone for $0/mo with a trade-in and Upfront Edge.

According to details from the Rogers website, customers can “trade in an eligible Samsung device in any condition” to get the Galaxy S23 for $0/mo. Typically the phone costs $44.21/mo on Rogers’ financing platform or $14.33/mo with Upfront Edge.

For those unfamiliar with the program, Upfront Edge discounts the cost of the phone if customers agree to return it after 24 months or pay the difference at the end of their term.

It’s worth noting that Rogers’ $0/mo trade-in deal is only available in stores, but the carrier does note that customers can still get the phone online for Upfront Edge price and then trade in an eligible device for a $350 credit. Eligible devices include “any Galaxy Note/S/Z series device.”

Those interested can check out the offer here.

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Mobile Syrup

Xplore expands 5G home internet to rural communities across Canada

5G cellular repeaters on the pole

Several rural communities in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland now have access to Xplore’s 5G home internet service.

The company has created the first rural standalone 5G network in Canada, allowing communities to “connect without compromise.” The network uses equipment from Ericsson and offers download speeds of up to 100Mbps.

“We built this new 5G network from scratch to better serve rural Canadians and provide them with fast, reliable connectivity — so they can work, play and learn online in rural areas across the country,” Dennis Steiger, Xplore’s Chief Technology Officer, said.

According to Xplore’s website, plans start at $59.99/month as part of a 12-month promotion. Those interested in the service can check if it’s available in their community here.

The company is also working with various government bodies to expand its services in Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Source: Xplore

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Mobile Syrup

Telus, Rogers, Bell kill 60GB plan, replace it with $105/100GB plan

At the big three Canadian carriers, 100GB of data is the new 60GB.

Telus, Rogers and Bell all updated their websites within the last day or so to replace their 60GB plans with 100GB plans for the same price. At all three, customers now have the option to get a $105/mo plan with 100GB of data at up to 1Gbps speeds (throttled to 512Kbps beyond the 100GB cap).

Along with the data, the plans also include Canada and U.S. access for calling, texting and data. Customers also get unlimited calling and texting and some other benefits, depending on the carrier — this includes things like voicemail, perks like Disney+ or Crave, and more.

Earlier this year, Telus, Rogers and Bell all offered $105/mo 60GB plans and $125/mo 100GB plans. However, it seems like the 60GB option is gone now, and the 100GB plan price was reduced to take its place.

Moreover, the three carriers still offer $85/25GB plans and $95/50GB plans (except Rogers, which has $95/40GB instead). Bell and Rogers also offer $55/mo “Lite” plans for additional lines.

It’s worth noting that the change comes after Bell and Telus announced plans to increase the cost of their roaming packages later in March. For some, the Canada-U.S. plan will work as a decent replacement for the U.S. roaming package, but it depends on how often you travel stateside.

You can check out Telus’ plans here, Rogers’ plans here, or Bell’s plans here.