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Amazon Echo and Echo Dot are up 55 percent off

Amazon is back at it today and following up on yesterday’s fire sale of the Echo Show 5 and Echo Show 8. If you’re interested in an even more affordable option, the Echo and Echo Dot are up to 55% off today.

The Amazon Echo 4th gen and 5th gen are smart speakers that are designed to take on various tasks, such as playing music, controlling smart home devices, and answering questions. The primary difference between the two models is the design. The 4th gen Echo has a spherical design, while the 5th gen has a more traditional cylindrical shape.

Both the 4th and 5th gen Echos come with a range of features, including improved sound quality, Alexa voice assistant support, and built-in Zigbee hub to control smart home devices. The 5th gen Echo also includes a built-in temperature sensor and can monitor the temperature of your home.

The Echo Dot 3rd gen is a smaller, more compact version of the Echo. It also comes with Alexa voice assistant support and can perform similar tasks to the larger Echos. However, it has a less powerful speaker and is designed primarily as a device to interact with Alexa and control smart home devices. It also has a lower price point compared to the larger Echos, making it a more affordable option for those looking to get started with smart home technology.

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Source: Amazon Canada

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Amazon Echo Show 5 and Echo Show 8 are up to 25 percent off

The Echo Show 5 and Echo Show 8 are two of Amazon’s smart displays that offer voice-activated controls, video capabilities, and a decent visual interface to help you keep organized, entertained, and connected.

The Echo Show 5 is the smaller and more affordable option of the two and has a 5.5-inch touch screen display that can view weather updates, stream music, TV shows, or even watch videos on YouTube. It also has a built-in camera that allows for video calls and the use of Alexa’s Drop In feature.

Additionally, the device can be used to control other smart devices in your home, such as lights or thermostats, by simply using voice commands. The device comes with a physical camera shutter, which gives peace of mind when it comes to privacy concerns so that you can rest at night knowing that Bezos and crew are not watching.

The Echo Show 8 is the larger and more expensive option, but also comes with more advanced features. Its 8-inch HD display is also good for watching videos, or even following along with a recipe in the kitchen. Like the Echo Show 5, the Echo Show 8 also has a built-in camera and can be used for video calls and Drop In.

The Echo Show 8 can also act as a smart home hub. With the right setup, you can use it to control various smart home devices, such as lights, cameras, and thermostats. The device also has a respectable speaker system.

Both devices come with Alexa built-in, allowing you to control your smart home devices, set reminders, and get answers to questions with voice commands.

Check out the deals below

MobileSyrup utilizes affiliate partnerships. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content, though we may earn a commission on purchases made via these links that helps fund the journalism provided free on our website.

Source: Amazon Canada

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I bought Zelda Amiibo cards, and they’re great

I wouldn’t say I like Nintendo’s Amiibo, and I think the company selling $15-$20 toys that lock gameplay elements behind them is borderline robbery.

The worst offenders are the Loftwing character that allows you to fast-travel in Skyward Sword HD and the Wolf Link exclusive dungeon in Twilight Princess HD. I understand some people like miniature statues, but I wish Nintendo offered all Amiibo in cheaper card form as it did with Animal Crossing.

You could argue that the two examples above are $15 DLC add-ons, but that’s only at launch. Since Amiibo are often sold in batches, the prices rise considerably as they become rarer. For example, many Zelda-affiliated characters are in the $70 range on Amazon. Therefore, if you didn’t buy that character at launch, you need to pay reseller pricing.

To get around all of this, I decided to buy third-party Amiibo cards. These aren’t official Nintendo products, but in my experience, they work great and cost way less than rare Zelda Amiibos.

I paid $26 for a 36-card set that included every Zelda adjacent Amiibo except for the brand-new Tears of the Kingdom-inspired Link model.

You might be wondering how there are 36 cards in the set when there are only 25 Zelda Amiibo, and I don’t have the answer to that. The cards are mainly meant for Breath of the Wild since they unlock special weapons and armour sets. For instance, the Majora’s Mask Amiibo offers the chance to unlock the ‘Fierce Deity‘ outfit and sword. Still, the card collection comes with both a Majora’s Mask Link and a Fierce Deity Sword, which unlock the same items and are both sub-labelled as ‘Link | Majora’s Mask.’

Both can be used on the same day, and as far as I can tell, they represent the same Amiibo. I’m not complaining since the game is only supposed to allow you to use each Amiibo once per day, so this is a useful advantage the cards offer if you’re trying to unlock rare items.

Each card offers a list of what it unlocks on the back. This makes it easy to see what a card unlocks without memorizing it or looking it up online every time. The final plus is that the cards are the same size as a Switch game card. This makes it easier to pack a few into your travel case and take them on the go, compared to an Amiibo statue.

I’ve verified that each card is tied to an Amiibo and scanned them into Breath of the Wild; confirming that every card represents the statue printed on it is a more challenging task. Scanning these characters in the game triggers a lottery for the rare weapons and clothing tied to each Amiibo, and in my tests, I only unlocked the Wind Waker boomerang, the Cap of Twilight and one ancient helm. I also got the Wolf Link companion and Epona. On top of that, all the Toon link/Wind Waker Links dropped fish along with an item, so I’m fairly confident that they all work.

You can find the third-party 36-card set Amiibo set here.

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PlayStation 5 discounted by $60 today

At Sony’s recent CES 2023 keynote, the head of the company’s gaming division, Jim Ryan, made a highly anticipated announcement that gamers had been eagerly awaiting.

After months of PS5 shortages, Ryan declared that the supply of PlayStation 5 consoles has improved and that the shortage is now over, noting “PS5 supply improved towards the end of last year… everyone who wants a PS5 should have a much easier time finding one at retailers globally, starting from this point forward.”

Ryan also revealed that December 2022 marked the biggest month of PlayStation 5 sales ever, which is undoubtedly a testament to the console’s enduring popularity.

Those interested in a deal can head over to Amazon Canada today as the Disc Edition of God of War: Ragnarök is currently on sale for $60 off, bringing the cost down to $669.96.

God of War: Ragnarök picks up three years after the events of the 2018 game and follows Kratos and Atreus as they try to avert the apocalypse and confront new divine challenges. Although the game is also available on PS4, the PS5 version offers 4K graphics, 3D audio, and haptic feedback.

The release of Sony’s PlayStation 5 in November 2020 was met with a huge demand from gamers, who were seeking an upgrade from the previous generation of consoles. However, the release also coincided with the peak of the pandemic and global supply chain disruptions, leading to scarcity and exorbitant prices from resellers.

MobileSyrup utilizes affiliate partnerships. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content, though we may earn a commission on purchases made via these links that helps fund the journalism provided free on our website.

Source: Amazon Canada

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Save up to 36 percent on select Amazon Fire TVs

Amazon Canada unveiled a slew of new Fire TV Omni QLED series yesterday and previous lineup are currently on sale. So, it you’re looking for a very affordable TV, Amazon has some inventory.

Below are the deals:

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Source: Amazon Canada

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Ubisoft+ Multi Access comes to Canada through Amazon’s Luna

Ubisoft has revealed that Ubisoft+ Multi Access is now available in Canada, the U.K. and Germany.

The subscription platform allows you to play select Ubisoft games, including Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Rainbow Six Siege, The Division 2 and Far Cry 6, through Amazon’s Luna game streaming platform and on PC via Ubisoft Connect. Ubisoft+ Multi Access was previously only available in the United States.

It’s important to note that Ubisoft+’s full over 100 game library isn’t available with Multi Access. A complete list of streamable titles can be found here (there are 39 games in total). That said, you can stream select games you already own via Luna if you link your Ubisoft account with the platform.

The company says that Multi Access includes the premium editions of titles, DLC, 10 percent off in-game currency and day-one releases.

In Canada, Ubisoft+ starts at $19.99 per month, and Multi Access starts at $22.99 per month. This means that if you’re interested in subscribing to Luna and accessing more than just Ubisoft titles, you’d need to pay $12.99 per month for Luna+ on top of the Ubisoft+ Multi Access cost.

Image credit: Ubisoft

Source: Ubisoft

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Amazon Luna cloud gaming service now available in Canada

Amazon has launched its Luna cloud gaming service in Canada.

The platform debuted in the U.S. last March and is now finally expanding to Canada, as well as the U.K. and Germany.

With Luna, users can a variety of games on Fire TV, Fire tablets, PCs, Chromebooks, iOS, Android, Macs and more.

A few games will be available to stream at no additional cost for Prime members, including Mega Man 11. This selection will rotate every month.

Otherwise, there are three subscription options — referred to as “channels” — available for Luna:

  • Luna+ ($12.99/month with a 7-day trial) — includes dozens of games from various publishers, such as Devil May Cry 5, Resident Evil 2, Sonic Colors Ultimate and Yakuza Kiwami
  • Ubisoft+ ($22.99/month) — dozens of games from Ubisoft’s catalogue, including Far Cry 6, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Beyond Good & Evil and Watch Dogs: Legion
  • Jackbox Games ($6.49/month) — includes every Jackbox party game (Quiplash, Trivia Murder Party, Drawful and more)

Amazon’s channels approach is markedly different from what Google tried with its now-shuttered Stadia cloud gaming service, where you were primarily required to purchase games à la carte. It’s also more in line with the subscription model adopted by the likes Xbox Game Pass and Nvidia GeForce Now.

Additionally, Amazon is selling its proprietary Nintendo Switch Pro Controller-esque Luna gamepad on its website for $89.99. It’s intended to connect directly with Amazon’s services for a low-latency experience. However, some Bluetooth controllers, like PlayStation’s DualShock 4 and Microsoft’s Xbox Wireless Controller, are also supported. You can also use mouse and keyboard.

More information on Amazon Luna can be found here.

Image credit: Amazon 

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Save up to 20 percent on select Xbox Wireless Controllers today

If you’re in the market for a new controller, check out these deals on the Xbox Series X/S gamepad from Amazon Canada

The Xbox Series X/S gamepad has received several design upgrades that significantly enhance its functionality compared to the Xbox One controller. These upgrades include textured grips, triggers, and a redesigned D-Pad, which provide a solid gaming experience.

MobileSyrup utilizes affiliate partnerships. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content, though we may earn a commission on purchases made via these links that helps fund the journalism provided free on our website.

Source: Amazon Canada

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The Boys helped Ontario film and TV production achieve record-breaking 2022

Ontario reported its highest-ever film and TV production levels in 2022, bringing in $3.15 billion to the province’s economy.

The news comes from Ontario Creates, the government division focused on growing Ontario’s creative industries. Altogether, 2022 productions led to the creation of 45,891 full-time equivalent direct and spin-off jobs in Ontario.

In particular, Ontario Creates pointed to two major productions in the province: Women Talking, an Oscar-winning drama film from Toronto’s Sarah Polley, and Prime Video’s The Boys, which was 2022’s most-watched superhero series. Both were filmed in Toronto, with production on The Boys Season 4 still underway in the city.

Other recent movies and shows filmed in Ontario include Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy and Sex/Life, Paramount’s Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and the upcoming Keifer Sutherland-led Rabbit Hole and Crave’s The Handmaid’s Tale.

Meanwhile, Ontario Creates found that domestic film and TV production contributed $1.20 billion, an increase of 25 percent. This means it now accounts for 38 percent of total film and TV production spending in Ontario, a four percent increase from 2021.

Ontario Creates notes that this doesn’t account for commercial production or broadcaster in-house production, which are estimated at over $1.4 billion in 2022. This would bring Ontario productions’ total economic contributions in 2022 to $4.5 billion. It’s also worth stressing that this is only focused on film and television; of the nearly 1,000 studios making up Canada’s $5.5 billion video game industry, roughly 300 are based in Ontario.

Image credit: Amazon

Source: Ontario Creates

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Apple AirPods Max, 2nd and 3rd-Gen AirPods are up to 17 percent off today

Check out these great deals on Apple wireless headphones and earbuds. You can save on both the AirPods Max and the 2nd and 3rd-generation AirPods which are currently on sale.

The AirPods Max are high-end over-ear headphones that offer active noise cancellation and high-fidelity audio. They feature an Apple-designed H1 chip for seamless connectivity with Apple devices, as well as touch controls on the ear cups for easy control of music playback and calls. The AirPods Max also come with a smart case that puts them into an ultra-low-power mode to preserve battery life.

As for the 2nd-generation AirPods, which are the successor to the original AirPods, these feature the same design and form factor, but with improved battery life and faster connectivity thanks to the H1 chip. They also offer hands-free “Hey Siri” support, allowing you to activate Siri with just your voice. Additionally, the 2nd-generation AirPods come with a wired charging case.

The 3rd-generation AirPods are the latest version of Apple’s popular wireless earbuds and feature a new design with shorter stems, improved sound quality, and an updated H1 chip for better connectivity and faster pairing. They also come with a wireless charging case as standard, which allows you to charge the earbuds by simply placing them on a Qi-compatible charging mat.

MobileSyrup utilizes affiliate partnerships. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content, though we may earn a commission on purchases made via these links that helps fund the journalism provided free on our website.

Source: Amazon Canada