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PlayStation 5 SSD support rolls out to everyone on September 15

September’s major PS5 firmware update will bring support for M.2 SSD storage expansion to all users.

This feature has only been available to PlayStation beta testers since late July.

Launching September 15th, the software update will allow PS5 owners to use a compatible SSD to increase their console’s storage capacity. However, keep in mind that the process is rather convoluted and, therefore, you’ll need to do a bit of research to find out which ones will actually work with the PS5.

PlayStation has also put together this video to show you how to install an SSD:

While M.2 SSD support is the highlight of the new PS5 system update, it does include several other notable features.

In particular, the update introduces 3D Audio support for built-in TV speakers. The feature, which produces more immersive spatial sounds, was previously only available via supported headphones like PlayStation’s Pulse Headset. To enable the setting, you’ll first have to measure the acoustics of your room using the DualSense controller’s microphone.

Additionally, the September update introduces several new UX enhancements:

  • Control Center customization — specific controls can be hidden or unhidden at the bottom of the screen
  • Enhanced Game Base — view and write messages to friends and Parties directly from Game Base in the Control Center
  • Game Library and Home Screen updates — PS4 and PS5 versions of the same game will be clearly indicated and separated on the Home screen and in the ‘Installed’ tab of the Game Library
  • Screen Reader controls — Pause or resume Screen Reader (Press ‘PS + Triangle buttons’) and have it repeat anything it reads (Press ‘PS  + R1 buttons’)

Other miscellaneous changes to the general PS5 experience include a resolution selector (between 720p and 1080p) and connection test tool for PlayStation Now, automatic recording of “personal best” videos (setting a new record in certain in-game challenges), and a Trophy Tracker to quickly access up to five trophies per game from the Control Center.

This is the PlayStation 5’s second major firmware update following one in April that added external USB support, cross-gen Share Play and more.

Outside of the PS5 system update, the PS Remote Play app on Android and iOS is also getting a couple of new features. Now, users can stream and play PS4 and PS5 games over mobile data as well as Wi-Fi, with PlayStation recommending a connection of 15Mbps for “the best experience.”

Additionally, a September 23rd app update will roll out the ability to view friends’ Share Screen broadcasts together. PlayStation says the Android version of this update is “a phased release and may take one week” to appear on your mobile device.

Source: PlayStation

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Mobile Syrup

NDP wants CRTC to revisit 2019 ruling on wholesale internet rates

The New Democratic Party is joining TekSavvy, Ontario’s Big City Mayors and others in calling for the reversal of a Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission ruling that would have reduced the price of wholesale internet rates.

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh weighed in on the debate at a campaign stop in Toronto on September 14th, broadcasted by CPAC.

He announced that the party, if elected, would introduce new policies to force the CRTC to revisit its decision to not adjust the wholesale rates that large carriers — i.e. those that own most of the country’s telecom infrastructure — can charge smaller internet service providers (ISPs).

The decision in question is a controversial reversal of a major study led — funnily enough — by the CRTC itself. In August 2019, the commission found that the larger carriers were overcharging smaller ISPs by a substantial amount — contributing to higher internet prices for consumers — and ordered that the big guys would have to reduce their wholesale rates.

The findings were then challenged at every possible level by Bell, Cogeco, Eastlink, Rogers, Shaw Communications, and Vidéotron. In May 2021, the CRTC ultimately decided to back off and drop its ruling entirely, citing errors in its decision process.

“The CRTC obviously is a regulator, but we can put in place laws that indicate where we want to go with things, in terms of where our priorities are,” said Singh, referring to the NDP’s election promise to lower internet bills for Canadian consumers.

TekSavvy, an independent ISP, has made the wholesale rate decision an election issue by encouraging Canadians via online petitions and lawn signs to ask their local candidates demand the CRTC reinstate its original 2019 ruling.

Image credit: @jagmeetsingh

Source: CPAC

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Mobile Syrup

Epic CEO says company paid Apple $6 million as ordered

Epic Games has paid Apple $6 million USD (roughly $7.6 million CAD) for violating the iPhone maker’s App Store guidelines.

The payment follows last week’s ruling in the Epic v. Apple lawsuit, which was largely a loss for Epic. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers handed down the ruling on September 10th — it determined that Apple’s App Store was not a monopoly but that the company had engaged in some anti-competitive practices. Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple would need to allow other forms of in-app purchases.

Beyond that, Epic lost on every other count. Moreover, the judge ruled Epic would need to pay Apple 30 percent of the $12.1 million USD it earned between August and October 2020 plus 30 percent of any revenue earned between November 2020 and today.

As for why Epic was on the hook to pay Apple, it all traces back to the beginning of the lawsuit. In August 2020, Epic added its own payment method to Fortnite. That led Apple to boot the game off the App Store — however, those who already had it installed could still play (eventually, an update made the app unusable). During that time, the game still made money, and that’s why Epic was on the hook to pay Apple.

Epic, obviously, isn’t a fan of the ruling. The company has already announced plans to appeal, and CEO Tim Sweeney previously tweeted that Fortnite will return to the App Store only when it can “offer in-app payment in fair competition with Apple in-app payment.” The tweet seems to ignore the fact that it’s up to Apple when (and if) Fortnite can return to the App Store.

Sweeney also tweeted confirmation that Epic paid Apple the $6 million with a somewhat cringey joke: the tweet included a picture of the Apple Pay logo.

Source: @TimSweeneyEpic Via: MacRumors

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Mobile Syrup

Samsung Galaxy S21 users can sign up for Android 12 beta in U.S.

Samsung has officially announced that it’s rolling out the public beta of Android 12 with One UI 4.0 for Galaxy S21 handsets. This is only a few weeks before the expected final release of the operating system for Google’s Pixel smartphones.

The registration process starts today, September 14th. Users need to register via the Samsung Members app, and there are likely only a certain number of open slots. Currently, the beta is only available in U.S. and likely won’t come to Canada until the official release.

While One UI 4.0 runs on top of Android 12, at least at the outset, Samsung’s UI seems to be a lot cleaner and more elegant than ‘Material You.’

Samsung says One UI 4.0 features deep customization, ranging from visibility to appearance. Additionally, One UI 4.0 will also bring more enhanced privacy and protection functions, including indicator alerts when an app’s camera or microphone is in use.

Source: Samsung

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Mobile Syrup

Apple’s iPhone 13 event stream will take place in the desert

Hopefully, this isn’t some sort of obscure promotional image for an upcoming U2 album.

Just ahead of Apple’s big iPhone 13 reveal stream, Tim Cook, the tech giant’s CEO, tweeted an image of what seems to be a desert, confirming the event’s “California streaming” theme.

Alongside revealing the pre-recorded stream’s setting, Cook also showed off the new Twitter #AppleEvent hashtag that animates into an Apple logo before transforming into a heart when you click on it. Apple also featured a similar Twitter hashtag animation during the tech giant’s iPhone 12 reveal event.

Apple’s event is set to start at 10am PT/1PM ET. During the stream, the tech giant is expected to reveal the iPhone 13 series, the Apple Watch Series 7 and new AirPods.

For a recap of what to expect at the event, follow this link.

Image credit: Apple 

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Mobile Syrup

Check out Best Buy’s top tech deals for the week

Best Buy’s top deals for the week include several gadgets like Razer BlackShark V2 X Gaming Headset, Alienware Aurora R12 Gaming PC, 4th-gen Apple iPad Pro, Beats by Dr. Dre Studio3 Skyline and more.

Check out some of the notable items from the sale below:

TVs

Find all TVs on sale here.

Laptops

Find all laptops on sale here.

Gaming laptops

Find all gaming laptops on sale here.

Desktops and all-in-ones

Find all desktops and all-in-ones on sale here.

Gaming PCs

Find all gaming PCs here.

PC gaming accessories

Find all PC gaming accessories on sale here.

Monitors

Find all monitors on sale here.

Tablets

Find all tablets on sale here.

Headphones

Find all headphones on sale here.

Portable speakers

Find all portable speakers on sale here.

Smart home appliances

Find all smart home appliances on sale here.

It’s worth noting that the top deals rotate every week. This week’s sale is set to end on September 16th.

MobileSyrup utilizes affiliate partnerships and publishes sponsored posts. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content, though MobileSyrup may earn a commission on purchases made via these links. 

Source: Best Buy

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Mobile Syrup

Bell expanding fibre internet access to 10,000 more locations in Oshawa, Ontario

Bell has announced an expansion of fibre internet service to homes and businesses in urban and rural areas of Oshawa, Ontario.

In a news release, the Montreal-based national telecom company said that the expansion was part of its “accelerated capital investment in national next-generation network infrastructure.”

According to Bell, its fibre internet now reaches more than 44,000 Oshawa locations, and the expansion will increase that an additional 10,000 by the end of 2021.

“Bridging the digital divide is a priority for Bell as we advance how Canadians connect with each other and the world. We’re proud to bring our pure fibre connections and world-leading Internet and TV services to households and commercial locations in Oshawa as part of this historic network acceleration program,” said Rizwan Jamal, Bell’s president of residential and small business.

Bell says that its $100 million investment to bring direct fibre network connections to approximately 60,000 homes and businesses in Oshawa is now close to completion. Its fibre network will provide access to internet download speeds of up to 1.5Gbps and Bell services like Fibe TV.

Additionally, the company notes that it fully funded the expansion program.

Bell’s accelerated capital investment will see $1.7 billion in capital invested over the next two years to accelerate the rollout of broadband fibre. The company says this investment comes alongside its roughly $4 billion annual broadband investment.

Source: Bell

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Mobile Syrup

SaskTel to partner with local ISPs to boost rural internet speeds

SaskTel is launching a Rural Broadband Partnership Program to work with local internet service providers (ISPs) on bolstering broadband speeds in remote areas of Saskatchewan.

The goal of the program is to help smaller rural ISPs meet the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s “50/10” minimum benchmark (i.e. 50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload) for broadband service in Canada.

According to the press release, a number of ISPs have already joined the program — H and K Rural Networks Inc, Living Sky Internet, and Wood River Controls — as well as the Muscowpetung First Nation.

SaskTel is Saskatchewan’s crown-owned telecommunications company and the province’s largest wireless provider.

On Sept. 10th, the carrier completed its four-year, $107 million “Wireless Saskatchewan” project, which brought the number of SaskTel cell towers across the province to 1,000.

Source: SaskTel

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Mobile Syrup

Select Canadian Tire locations are offering the iRobot Roomba i7+ for $699

Several Canadian Tire stores in Ontario are currently offering a ‘Store Clearance’ discount on the iRobot Roomba i7+ Wi-Fi robot vacuum with automatic dirt disposal, as shared by RedFlagDeals user ‘redondo2017.’

Regularly priced at $999, the robo-vacuum is available for as low as $699 at some Canadian Tire locations.

Simply head to the product page, and click on the store selection tab next to the Canadian Tire logo on the top left. Proceed to add any of the following stores (whichever is closest to you) as your ‘preferred store’ to get the iRobot Roomba i7 for $699.

  • 110 Young Street, Alliston, ON, L9R 1P8
  • 9303 County Road 93, Hugel Avenue, Midland, ON, L4R 4K4
  • 327 Toronto Street South, Uxbridge, ON, L9P 1Z7
  • 1090 Hoover Park Drive, Stouffville, ON, L4A 0K2
  • 99 McEwan Drive East, Bolton, ON, L7E 2Z7
  • 377 Kent Street West, Lindsay, ON, K9V 2Z7
  • 450 Muskoka Road, Bracebridge, ON, P1L 1V4
  • 2625B Weston Road, North York, ON, M9N 3W1
  • 4100 Garden Street at Taunton Road, Whitby, ON, L1R 3K5
  • 5 Joe Shuster Way, Toronto, ON, M6K 0C7
  • 2510 Hyde Park Gate, Oakville, ON, L6H 6M2
  • 127 Stone Road West, Guelph, ON, N1G 5G4
  • 75 Dundas Street, Cambridge, ON, N1R 6G5
  • 1400 Ottawa Street South, Kitchener, ON, N2E 4E2
  • 1283 Barton Street East, Hamilton, ON, L8H 2V4
  • 304 Main Street East, Hamilton, ON, L8N 1H9
  • 119 Osler Drive, Dundas, ON, L9H 6X4
  • 777 Upper James Street, Hamilton, ON, L9C 3A1
  • 44 Livingston Avenue, Grimsby, ON, L3M 1L1
  • 459 Welland Avenue, St. Catharines, ON, L2M 5V2
  • 431 Louth Street, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 4A2
  • 30 Lynden Road, Brantford, ON, N3R 8A4
  • 465 Norwich Avenue, Woodstock, ON, N4S 9A2
  • 287 West Side Road, Port Colborne, ON, L3K 5L2
  • 98 Mutual Street South, Ingersoll, ON, N5C 1S5
  • 100 Thames Road East, Exeter, ON, N0M 1S3
  • 248 Broadway Street, Tillsonburg, ON, N4G 3R4
  • 13321 Loyalist Parkway, Picton, ON, K0K 2T0
  • 1063 Talbot Street, St. Thomas, ON, N5P 1G4
  • 12011 Hwy 17 East, Sturgeon Falls, ON, P2B 2S7
  • 2259 Regent Street, Sudbury, ON, P3E 5M9
  • 1485 Lasalle Blvd., Sudbury, ON, P3A 5H7
  • 1 – 3595 Highway 144, Chelmsford, ON, P0M 1L0

All of the mentioned stores have only a few units of the iRobot Roomba i7+ left, which is why they are being offered at a discounted price, and that is also why you’ll need to hurry if you want to get your hands on one.

If the store you selected is fairly nearby, you can place your order and go pick up the robo-vacuum in-store, or you can have it delivered right to your doorstep by paying the additional shipping fee (varies depending on your location).

MobileSyrup staff reporter Brad Shankar spent some time with the iRobot Roomba i7+ back in June and said it is an “exceptionally well-made tool with a variety of cool features.” Read more about it here.

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Mobile Syrup

iPhone users more likely than Android users to trade in old devices: report

iPhone users are more likely to sell or trade in old devices than Android users, according to research from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (via 9to5Mac).

The CIRP report looked at what happens to old phones when people upgrade, comparing Android devices and iPhones. It found that most Android users keep their old phones, while nearly 30 percent of iPhone owners leverage trade-in programs to get rid of their old devices.

Further, less than 10 percent of both iPhone and Android users sell their old phones. On the iPhone side, those who don’t trade in devices usually either keep them, loan them to friends/family or lose/break the phone.

The numbers are similar for Android, although more Android users recycle their old phones than iPhone users do.

Beyond the trade-in information, the CIRP report also noted that iPhones are usually in better condition after a year compared to Android phones. CIRP says that 65 percent of iPhones are found with the display in good condition after 12 months, while that number drops to 60 percent for Android phones.

However, that situation flips when it comes to battery life. After a year, 30 percent of Android users can keep their phones unplugged for a whole day compared to 23 percent of iPhone users. However, Android phones typically offer larger batteries than iPhones, which may be why the battery holds up longer over time.

Although the survey was U.S.-based, I imagine it’s fairly similar for Canadians. At least, the results seem accurate for me — as a long-time Android user, I tend to hold onto my phones when I upgrade (I’ve sold one phone, and I traded in another, but that’s it for me).

Let us know down below what you do with your old phones. Do you trade them in, hold onto them, or only upgrade when you break or lose them?

Image credit: CIRP, 9to5Mac

Source: CIRP Via: 9to5Mac