Being the person that breaks a group chat is liable to get you banned from future messaging threads, but if you’re on Android, there’s a setting that can help your phone play nicer with iPhones and other Android devices.
When I’m setting up a phone, this toggle is already set to Group Chat mode, but recently when moving back to the Nothing Phone (1), my chats were all messed up as I needed to reset it.
To start, open the Android Messages app. This is the default on most Android phones, but if you don’t have it, you can download it here. Once you have the app open, tap on your profile image in the top right corner and choose ‘Messages settings.’ Then scroll down near the bottom of the page and select ‘Advanced.’ The first option here is called ‘Group messaging,’ and it allows you to either send group chat replies or mass texts. Most people will want this set to the second option, ‘send an MMS reply to all recipients (group MMS).’
This allows you to have conversations with multiple people at the same time and, in my experience, even works with iPhones. You’ll still have a green bubble, but you can partake in chats. If you and all your friends have Android phones and RCS chat enabled, you can even add more members to a chat, leave a thread or even send read receipts.
Check out all the computer accessory deals here. It’s worth noting that the products mentioned above have varying ‘sale end’ dates. If you’re going to sit on the idea of making a purchase, make sure to check when the sale ends.
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Every week, MobileSyrup outlines some of the most notable movies and TV shows that recently hit Canadian streaming platforms.
Our ‘Streaming in Canada’ column typically focuses on new content from Amazon Prime Video, Crave and Netflix, but other services like Apple TV+ and Disney+ are mentioned when relevant. Premium video-on-demand (PVOD) platforms are also fair game as movies continue to come to digital early.
Finally, we’ll highlight shows or movies that are made by Canadian companies, involve notable Canadian cast or crew and/or are filmed in Canada.
Amazon Prime Video
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Season 5) [Amazon Original]
Amazon Prime Video Canada premiere date: April 14th, 2023 (first three episodes, new episodes every Friday) Genre: Comedy-drama Runtime: Nine episodes (around one hour each)
With a new job, Midge finds herself closer than ever to the success she’s dreamed of, only to discover it’s farther than she thought.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino (Gilmore Girls) and stars Rachel Brosnahan (House of Cards), Alex Borstein (Family Guy), Michael Zegen (Rescue Me) and Tony Shalhoub (Monk).
Original theatrical release date: September 16th, 2022
Amazon Prime Video Canada premiere date: April 14th, 2023 Genre: Slasher Runtime: 1 hour, 42 minutes
A sheltered young woman’s aspirations to become a movie star lead her to commit violent acts.
An origin story for the villainous elderly woman from last year’s X, Pearl was co-written and directed by Ti West (X) and features Mia Goth reprising her role as the titular character while also co-writing the movie. It’s worth noting that a third film from West and Goth, MaXXXine, is currently in development.
An Amazon Prime Video subscription is included at no additional cost with an Amazon Prime membership, which is priced at $99/year.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Amazon Prime Video Canada this month can be found here.
Apple TV+
The Last Thing He Told Me [Apple Original]
Apple TV+ Canada premiere date: April 14th, 2023 (first two episodes, new episodes every Friday) Genre: Thriller Runtime: Seven episodes (around 45 minutes each)
A woman becomes closer to her stepdaughter as she searches for her husband after his mysterious disappearance.
Based on Laura Dave’s novel of the same name, The Last Thing He Told Me was created by Dave and Josh Singer (Spotlight) and stars Jennifer Garner (Alias), Angourie Rice (Mare of Easttown), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones) and Aisha Tyler (Archer).
Crave premiere date: April 16th, 2023 at 10pm ET (first two episodes, new episodes every Sunday at 10pm ET) Genre: Comedy-drama Runtime: Eight episodes (around 30 minutes each)
In the final season of the hit HBO series, Barry’s arrest leads Cousineau to be hailed as a hero but soon brings about shocking consequences.
Barry was created by Bill Hader (Saturday Night Live) and Alec Berg (Silicon Valley) and stars Hader, Stephen Root (King of the Hill), Vancouver’s Sarah Goldberg (The Report), Henry Winkler (Happy Days) and Anthony Carrigan (Gotham).
Crave premiere date: April 14th, 2023 (first episode, new episodes every Friday) Genre: Sketch comedy Runtime: Six episodes (around 30 minutes each)
Robin Thede, Gabrielle Dennis and Skye Townsend return for more sketches alongside guests like Sam Richardson (The Afterparty), Kyla Pratt (The Proud Family), Colman Domingo (Euphoria) and Yvette Nicole Brown (Community).
A standard Crave subscription is priced at $19.99/month, with Starz costing an additional $5.99/month. A mobile-only subscription is also available for $9.99/month.
The full list of movies and shows hitting Crave this month can be found here.
Netflix
American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing [Netflix Original]
Netflix Canada premiere date: April 12th, 2023 Genre: Documentary Runtime: Three episodes (53 to 63 minutes each)
To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing, this documentary offers new archive footage, chilling reenactments and exclusive interviews to shed new light on the horrific incident.
Stream American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing here.
Obsession [Netflix Original]
Netflix Canada premiere date: April 13th, 2023 Genre: Erotic thriller Runtime: Four episodes (33 to 43 minutes each)
A respected surgeon has an erotic infatuation with his son’s fiancée, threatening to upend everyone’s life in the process.
Based on Josephine Hart’s Damage novel, Obsession stars Richard Armitage (The Hobbit trilogy), Charlie Murphy (Peaky Blinders), Indira Varma (Game of Thrones) and Rish Shah (Ms. Marvel).
The full list of movies and shows hitting Netflix Canada this month can be found here.
Paramount+
Waco: The Aftermath [Paramount+ Original]
Paramount+ Canada premiere date: April 14th, 2023 Genre: Crime drama Runtime: Five episodes (around one hour each)
This series explores the aftermath of the disastrous 1993 FBI standoff in Waco, Texas that galvanized American militia movements.
The series is a sequel to 2018’s Waco from the same creators, John Erick Dowdle and Drew Dowdle, and stars Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals), John Leguizamo (When They See Us), Giovanni Ribisi (Sneaky Pete), David Costabile (Breaking Bad) and J. Smith-Cameron (Succession).
The big three telecom companies in Canada have implemented several plan changes, resulting in Canadians paying more for services. Their flanker brands, Fido, Koodo, and Virgin Plus, have also seen price hikes.
More details on the changes, and a recap of some of the most important telecom stories this week, are detailed below:
Business
Rogers is acquiring BAI’s Canadian division, the company with the rights to build a wireless network on the TTC. It will take Rogers two years to complete its 5G build and several months to update infrastructure allowing for access through 3G and 4G.
Rogers says it’s open to working with Bell and Telus to ensure all TTC riders have access to mobile services when using the subway.
Rogers CEO Tony Staffieri made $31.5 million in 2022, overtaking the CEOs of Bell and Telus.
Bell MTS has pledged to expand its services to six rural communities in Manitoba.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has reportedly created a new company called X.AI Corp., which is incorporated in Nevada.
First reported by The Wall Street Journal, according to a state filing, Musk is the only listed director of the company and director of Musk’s family office; Jared Birchall is listed as the company’s secretary.
Musk has previously stated his intention to create ‘X,’ the “everything app.” The new company’s name — X.AI, sounds like it might be affiliated with Musk’s ‘Everything app.’
Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app
It’s worth noting that Musk recently also changed Twitter’s name to X Corp., matching the name of his new company. According to a legal filing from last week, Twitter is also now incorporated in Nevada instead of its previous home in Delaware.
The Wall Street Journal says that Nevada’s laws provide more discretion and protection to a company’s management and officers than Delaware, which is likely why Musk changed the social media company’s registration.
The new company’s name suggests it will likely deal in AI research. This comes soon after Musk co-signed an open letter addressed to AI labs globally to pause the development of large-scale AI systems, quoting concerns regarding “profound risks to society and humanity.” Soon after, it was reported that Musk was working on an AI project within Twitter. The company even acquired roughly 10,000 GPUs (graphics processing units), likely to be used on a large AI model for the platform. According to sources familiar with the matter, the project is at an early stage. It’s currently unclear what Musk’s AI project would focus on. Likely use cases could be to better target users with ads or improve the platform’s search functionality.
Further, according to Business Insider, Musk hired Igor Babuschkin and Manuel Kroiss from Alphabet-owned AI research firm DeepMind in March to help him on his AI endeavour that would rival OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Release date: April 28th
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
We’d be remiss not to mention that the de facto start to the busy mid-year stretch has to be Respawn’s sequel to its hit 2019 action-adventure game, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Set five years after the events of that game, Survivor follows Cal Kestis as he continues his battle against the Galactic Empire with the Jedi all but decimated. Gameplay-wise, the sequel offers a variety of improvements, including new lightsaber stances and Force powers and more open and expansive level design (with fast-travel!). The Force is looking pretty strong with this one.
Redfall
Image credit: Bethesda
Release date: May 2nd
Platform: Xbox Series X/S, PC
Arkane (Dishonored) is here with a new first-person shooter IP that’s all about vampire slaying on an island town in Massachusetts. Whether solo or in co-op, you can control one of four unique characters — cryptozoologist and inventor Devinder, telekinetic student Layla Ellison, combat engineer Remi and supernatural sniper Jacob. While there’s been some controversy surrounding the lack of a 60fps option at launch, Arkane’s pedigree certainly speaks for itself.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Image credit: Nintendo
Release date: May 12th
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Over six years after the beloved Breath of the Wild, Nintendo is finally here with a direct sequel. This time around, Link must traverse both the land and skies of Hyrule to stop a malevolent force from rising. Between the darker tone, new floating islands to explore and inventive new abilities (weapon-fusing and rewinding time!), it’s shaping up to be another Nintendo game of the year contender.
In related news, MobileSyrup and Nintendo of Canada are running a contest until April 20th where you and a friend will be flown to New York City for the launch of Tears of the Kingdom. Full terms and conditions are available here.
Street Fighter 6
Image credit: Capcom
Release date: June 2nd Platforms: PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X and S, PC
Capcom’s iconic fighting game series is back. The game features 18 fighters, including new and fan-favourites like Ryu, Chun-Li and Cammy, as well as three distinct game modes: World Tour, Fighting Ground and Battle Hub. Moreover, it marks a return to Xbox consoles after Street Fighter 5 controversially was a PlayStation 4 console exclusive. All in all, the series looks to be in fighting form.
Diablo IV
Image credit: Activision Blizzard
Release date: June 6th Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S
Eleven years after Diablo III, Blizzard is back with a full-fledged entry in the action-RPG series — no smartphone required. So far, it’s been a big hit with fans, especially after a well-received beta. The game takes place 30 years after the events of Diablo III and sees players having to face off against Lilith, the daughter of Mephisto. It’s also worth noting that Canada’s Rod Ferguson, a key player behind the Gears of War series, now serves as a producer on the Diablo franchise.
Summer Game Fest
See what’s next in video games when @summergamefest goes live!
Date: June 8th at 12pm PT/3pm ET Where to stream: TBA
A few weeks ago, the Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) was cancelled, confirming weeks-long rumours that the show would be scrapped amid minimal publisher interest. At the same time, Geoff Keighley, the Markham, Ontario-born creator of The Game Awards, promised a bigger-than-ever Summer Game Fest event, including a first-time physical component in Los Angeles. Keighley created the show in 2020 as a digital alternative to E3 during the COVID-19 pandemic, but with E3 tapering off, it looks here to stay. Expect to see game reveals from dozens of companies.
Xbox Games Showcase + Starfield Direct
Starfield (Image credit: Bethesda)
Date: June 11th (time TBA) Where to stream: TBA
While E3 has been called off, Xbox is still holding its traditional June gaming showcase. It’s unclear exactly what we’ll see there, but potential titles include Ninja Theory’s Hellblade II, Rare’s Everwild, Turn 10’s Forza Motorsport and Obsidian’s Avowed. What we do know, though, is that Bethesda’s highly-anticipated Starfield is getting its own dedicated ‘Direct’ presentation directly after the Xbox Games Showcase.
Ubisoft Forward
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (Image credit: Ubisoft)
Date: June 12th (time TBA) Where to stream: TBA
Ubisoft has been pretty quiet as of late, with 2022 being a fairly light year for the publisher outside of Just Dance 2023 and Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope. Instead, the company has largely been producing a variety of live service experiences, including the crossover shooter XDefiant and multiple Assassin’s Creed titles. Presumably, this Ubisoft Forward will offer a better look at many of these, as well as the likes of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and Assassin’s Creed Mirage.
Final Fantasy XVI
Image credit: Square Enix
Release date: June 22nd, 2023 Platform: PlayStation 5
How do you follow up on one of the biggest comeback stories in games, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn? You make the next mainline single-player entry in the venerable 35-plus-year series. Over the past several years, Square Enix’s Creative Business Unit III has been toiling away at a darker, politically-charged Final Fantasy action-RPG that aims to marry the mature storytelling of FFXIV with the tight and stylish combat of Devil May Cry. Indeed, the story actually hails from Kazutoyo Maehiro, writer of the award-winning Heavensward, while the combat is being spearheaded by DMC alum Ryota Suzuki. Just one month after Tears of the Kingdom and we could very well be getting another Game of the Year contender.
Google Workspace Updates has announced that Google Chat will be getting an updated look that won’t clash with the newly redesigned interfaces of Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Gmail.
The new cosmetic changes will feature a handful of new touches based on Google’s Material Design 3 system that rolled out on the company’s other Workspace apps. The entire interface is tweaked slightly with more rounded edges on the buttons and search bar and blue accents on certain widgets.
The majority of the changes are very slight, with updates also being rolled out on the main message view, new topic button, compose setup and thread panel. If users didn’t read the press release, some might not have even noticed the difference.
Google also announced a new Chat feature that allows Space Managers to create announcement-only channels, which looks like a welcome addition for those looking to keep all the members of a team on the same page (literally.)
The update did not bring any major software changes to Chat, meaning the next time you log in, you’ll still know how everything works, it just might look a little prettier.
A new trailer has dropped for EA’s Immortals of Aveum, the company’s upcoming game described as a single-player “first-person magic shooter.”
The game will release under the EA Originals label and it is set to be developed by Ascendant Studios. According to a press release, the studio is comprised of BAFTA and Game of the Year award-winning industry veterans, which seems like the ideal team to take on the task of creating a shooter with supernatural elements.
The trailer offers a brief outline of what to expect story-wise, but since it’s a reveal trailer and not a gameplay trailer, there isn’t too much extensive information offered on game mechanics or features yet.
Part of the game’s official press release describes the story as follows:
“Players experience this visceral and cinematic, story-driven game through the eyes of Jak, as he joins an elite order of battlemages, masters all three colors of magic – blue, green, and red – and decimates legions of enemies with clever chained attacks and well-timed counters.”
Immortals of Aveum is set to combine a modern story with a fantasy setting and provide “fast-paced action and spell-based combat that defies FPS conventions.”
The game is set to release on July 20th, marking EA Original’s second release of 2023 with Wild Hearts being the first to come out in February.
Leave it to Nick Lever, video game editor and Lego Masters Australia finalist, to create an incredible replica of the iconic Nintendo Game Boy handheld using Lego bricks.
The build is shockingly accurate to the original handheld’s design, which is made even more surprising considering the lack of expensive or complex materials used by Lever. The entire creation consists of 364 pieces and only 115 parts, but they work together to capture the Game Boy’s design perfectly.
The build features the classic angled Start/Select buttons, the rounded edge on the right side, and the distinctive Game Boy tinted screen, accomplished by placing green tiles underneath a trans-blue window. Even the D-pad is tactile, alongside the A and B buttons, and there’s also a slot to pop a cartridge in.
Lever is selling the instructions for the build for $5.65 on Rebrickable. The site is capable of automatically adding to your BrickLink shopping cart, another website that acts as an online marketplace for Lego pieces and sets, giving those looking to create their own Game Boy an easy start.
With Lego already selling a build for the Nintendo NES, many fans are hoping that an official Game Boy build will be released sometime soon.
This set could be made possible by Lego Ideas, a program run by The Lego Group that allows users to submit ideas for Lego products to be turned into potential sets available commercially. The original designer even receives 1 percent of the royalties if their idea goes up for sale.
Until then, nostalgic 90s gamers will have to show off their creativity and building prowess and take a shot at re-creating Lever’s model.
Rocksteady Studios has announced that the game’s launch date will be moving from May 26th to February 2nd, 2024.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was initially slated for a release in 2022 before being moved to May 26th, 2023. The launch was then delayed to a later date in the year, before finally being announced that it would drop on February 2nd, 2024. The most recent announcement marks two changes in the same year and three moves in total since the title’s inception.
— Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League (@suicidesquadRS) April 13, 2023
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was a major point of interest in Sony’s State of Play event in February. Players were able to experience the gameplay up close for the first time, resulting in mixed opinions. Some of the less positive feedback may have inspired an additional delay to the game’s launch.
Rocksteady announced that the title would be delayed another nine months in order to “work on getting the game to be the best quality experience for players.” Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier tweeted that the delay was made to polish the game’s existing elements, rather than change anything major.
As of right now, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is set to release on February 2nd, 2024, but keep your fingers crossed just in case.
