Tag: Apple TV+

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Mobile Syrup

Streaming in Canada on Prime Video, Apple TV+, Crave, Disney+, Netflix and Paramount+ [May 9-15]

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+ will be mentioned when relevant. Premium video on demand (PVOD) platforms are also fair game as movies continue to come to digital early amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

Kids in the Hall [Amazon Original]

The iconic Canadian sketch comedy troupe is back. All five original group members — Etobicoke, Ontario’s Dave Foley, Edmonton’s Bruce McCulloch, Montreal’s Kevin McDonald, Ottawa’s Mark McKinney and Brampton, Ontario’s Scott Thompson — have returned for new sketches.

Amazon Prime Video premiere date: May 13th, 2022
Genre: Sketch comedy
Runtime: Eight episodes (24 to 27 minutes each)

Stream Kids in the Hall here.

An Amazon Prime Video subscription is included at no additional cost with an Amazon Prime membership, which costs $79/year.

The full list of movies and shows hitting Amazon Prime Video Canada this month can be found here.

Apple TV+

The Essex Serpent [Apple Original]

After moving to Essex to investigate reports of a mythical serpent, a London widow bonds with the local pastor until tragedy strikes and locals accuse her of attracting the creature.

Based on Sarah Perry’s 2016 novel of the same name, The Essex Serpent stars Claire Danes (Homeland) and Tom Hiddleston (Loki).

Apple TV+ Canada premiere date: May 13th, 2022 (first two episodes, new episodes every Friday)
Genre: Drama
Runtime: Six episodes (around one hour each)

Stream The Essex Serpent here.

An Apple TV+ subscription costs $5.99/month.

Crave

Hacks (Season 2)

Deborah and Ava set out on a cross-country trip to workshop Deborah’s latest stand-up act.

Hacks was created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky (Broad City) and stars Jean Smart (Watchmen), Hannah Einbinder (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert), Carl Clemons-Hopkins (Candyman) and Jane Adams (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind).

Crave premiere date: May 12th, 2022 (first two episodes, two new episodes every Thursday)
Genre: Comedy-drama
Runtime: Eight episodes (around 30 minutes each)

Stream Hacks here.

The Matrix Resurrections

Sixty years after the events of Revolutions, Neo finds himself drawn back into the Matrix to fight alongside a new group of rebels and rescue Trinity.

The Matrix Resurrections was co-written and directed by Lana Wachowski (The Matrix trilogy) and features Toronto’s Keanu Reeves and Burnaby, B.C.’s Carrie-Anne Moss reprising their roles of Neo and Trinity, while Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Watchmen), Jessica Henwick (Marvel’s Iron Fist), Jonathan Groff (Mindhunter) and Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) join the cast.

Theatrical release date: December 22nd, 2021
Crave premiere date: May 13th, 2022
Genre: Sci-fi, action
Runtime: 2 hours, 28 minutes

Stream The Matrix Resurrections here.

See For Me

After three criminals break into the home she’s housesitting, a visually-impaired teen must use a smartphone app to connect to a remote helper.

See For Me was directed by Calgary’s Randall Okita (The Lockpicker) and stars Skyler Davenport (Sword Art Online), Calgary’s Jessica Parker Kennedy (The Flash), Pascal Langdale (Killjoys), Saskatoon’s Kim Coates (Sons of Anarchy) and Toronto’s Laura Vandervoort (Smallville).

The film was shot in and around Toronto.

Theatrical release date: January 7th, 2022
Crave premiere date: May 13th, 2022
Genre: Thriller
Runtime: 1 hour, 32 minutes

Stream See For Me here.

Shoresy [Crave Original]

This Letterkenny spin-off follows the titular foul-mouthed hockey player as he moves to Sudbury to join the struggling local hockey team.

Shoresy was created by Listowell, Ontario’s Jared Keeso (Letterkenny) and stars Keeso, Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation’s Harlan Blayne Kytwayhat (Tribal), Toronto’s Tasya Teles (The 100) and Blair Lamora (Outlander).

Crave premiere date: May 13th, 2022 (first two episodes, two new episodes every Friday)
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: Six episodes (around 21 to 30 minutes each)

Stream Shoresy here.

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.

Disney+

The Quest [Disney+ Original]

Eight real-life teenagers (“Paladins”) are dropped into a fictional world in a competition centred around fulfilling an ancient fantastical prophecy.

Disney+ Canada premiere date: May 13th, 2022 (first two episodes, two new episodes every Friday)
Genre: Reality competition
Runtime: Eight episodes (40 to 47 minutes each)

Stream The Quest here.

Sneakerella [Disney+ Original]

A stock boy in Queens falls in love with Manhattan’s “Princess Charming” and pursues his dreams of becoming a sneaker designer with the help of his best friend and Fairy Godfather.

A modern re-imagining of Cinderella, Sneakerella was directed by Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum (Ramona and Beezus) and stars Chosen Jacobs (It series), Lexi Underwood (Little Fires Everywhere), NBA star John Salley and Brantford, Ontario’s Devyn Nekoda (Utopia Falls).

It’s worth noting that the film was shot in and around Toronto.

Disney+ Canada premiere date: May 13th, 2022
Genre: Musical comedy
Runtime: 1 hour, 52 minutes

Stream Sneakerella here.

A Disney+ subscription costs $11.99/month or $119.99/year.

The full list of movies and shows hitting Disney+ Canada this month can be found here.

Netflix

The Lincoln Lawyer [Netflix Original]

An L.A. defense attorney works out of a chauffeur-driven Lincoln Town Car.

Based on Michael Connelly’s 2008 novel, The Brass Verdict, The Lincoln Lawyer was created by David E. Kelley (Big Little Lies) and stars Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (Cake), Guelph, Ontario’s Neve Campbell (Scream series), Becki Newton (Ugly Betty) and Jazz Raycole (My Wife and Kids).

Netflix Canada premiere date: May 13th, 2022
Genre: Legal drama
Runtime: 10 episodes (46 to 56 minutes each)

Stream The Lincoln Lawyer here.

Operation Mincemeat [Netflix Original]

Based on a true story, two British intelligence officers hatch a bold scheme to dupe the Nazis and alter the course of World War II.

Operation Mincemeat was directed by John Madden (Shakespeare in Love) and stars Colin Firth (The King’s Speech), Matthew Macfayden (Succession), Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire) and Penelope Wilton (Downton Abbey).

Netflix Canada premiere date: May 10th, 2022
Genre: War drama
Runtime: 2 hours, 7 minutes

Stream Operation Mincemeat here.

Our Father [Netflix Original]

Director Lucie Jourdan (Taken at Birth) unpacks the disturbing true story of a popular U.S. doctor who was secretly inseminating dozens of patients with his own sperm.

Netflix Canada premiere date: May 10th, 2022
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 1 hour, 37 minutes

Stream Our Father here.

A ‘Basic’ Netflix subscription costs $9.99/month, a ‘Standard’ subscription (HD-supported) costs $16.49/month and a ‘Premium’ membership is priced at $20.99/month (4K-supported).

The full list of movies and shows hitting Netflix Canada this month can be found here.

Paramount+

The Lost City

Novelist Loretta Sage and her cover model Alan Caprison must escape a billionaire, who demands Loretta’s help in finding a lost city.

The Lost City was directed by the Nee Brothers (Band of Robbers) and stars Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side), Channing Tatum (Jump Street series), Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter series) and Brad Pitt (Ocean’s series).

Theatrical release date: March 25th, 2022
Paramount+ Canada premiere date: May 10th, 2022
Genre: Adventure, romantic comedy
Runtime: 1 hour, 52 minutes

Stream The Lost City here.

A Paramount+ subscription costs $5.99/month.

This week in Paramount+ news: In the latest episode of the streamer’s Halo series, Master Chief finally had sex.

What are you planning on streaming this week? Let us know in the comments.

For more suggestions, check out last week’s Streaming in Canada column.

Image credit: Amazon

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Mobile Syrup

Apple could be working on a cheaper Apple TV

The Apple TV remains one of the best and most powerful streaming devices available, but it’s undeniably pricey, starting at $229 for the 32GB 4K version.

However, that could soon change. According to a recent tweet from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the tech giant could have plans to release a version of the Apple TV “that improves cost structure” later in 2022. This is a good move on Apple’s part given the cheaper and rather outdated Apple TV HD costs $199.

Though the Nvidia Shield rivals the Apple TV 4K in terms of home theatre standards and format support, in Canada in particular, most streaming platforms typically update the tvOS version of their app first, giving Apple’s streaming box a significant advantage in the space.

It’s unclear if this cheaper Apple TV would be HD, 4K or even HDR-capable and what price point it will hit. It’s likely that Apple will replace its entry-level Apple TV HD with a less powerful, possibly smaller version of the Apple TV 4K. For example, while the 2nd-gen Apple TV 4K features Apple’s A12 chip, the first-gen version offers an A10X Fusion chip.

Apple could refresh this older version of the Apple TV 4K with an A11 chip and a sleeker design. It’s unclear if Kuo’s report is tied to the rumours surrounding an Apple TV with an integrated HomePod speaker and a built-in camera for FaceTime that appeared a few months ago.

Source: @mingchikuo 

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Mobile Syrup

Every paid service Apple offers in Canada

When you visit Apple’s website, you’ll see an obscure header between ‘TV & Home’ and ‘Accessories’ labelled “Only on Apple.” Clicking on the ‘Only at Apple’ tab takes you to a page featuring most (but not all) of Apple’s services.

The California-based tech company has been aggressively expanding its services portfolio. As a result, services now make up around 15 to 20 percent (depending on the quarter) of Apple’s revenue. Moreover, services are second only to the company’s flagship product, the iPhone. That’s right — Apple’s services business not only, beats out the iPad and the Mac as individual product lines, but it beats them both out combined.

While Canada has yet to see Apple Cash and Apple Card, we do have Apple Pay. Additionally, Canada is lucky to typically be one of Apple’s first choices for future service expansions. Canadians have access to nearly every other one of Apple’s services. Free services like Apple Maps and Siri work relatively well and are reasonably popular. Apple Podcast subscriptions, Apple Books, and the App Store are also services available here in Canada. Still, they’re more based on Apple acting as a distributor by taking a cut of the final sale on finished work.

That leaves us with seven core paid services that Apple offers to consumers directly, and the fruit company has been pushing these services hard. Everything from free trials to notifications on your iPhone — Apple wants to see every Apple user sign up for one (if not more) of their services. Who can blame it? Buy an iPhone once but subscribe forever.

Let’s dive into the seven paid services Apple offers to Canadians:

AppleCare+

AppleCare+ has been around for a long time. However, most Apple customers are pretty divided on the purchase. If you’re not aware—AppleCare+ is essentially Apple’s extended warranty for most of their products. Apple charges either a one-time fee that covers two or three years (depending on the product) or a reoccurring monthly subscription at a slight premium.

AppleCare+ extends your device’s manufacturer’s warranty from one year to however long you’re subscribed to the service. Additionally, if your device has a broken screen or liquid damage, you pay a “service fee,” aka a deductible, to get either a repair or replacement. This is instead of paying a large out-of-warranty repair or replacement cost. Lastly, you also get 24/7 priority technical support through Apple Support by calling 1-800-MY-APPLE.

Consumers who opt to go with the one-time fee can extend their AppleCare+ cover at the monthly rate. Or suppose they opt to cancel their AppleCare+ subscription early. In that case, Apple will send them a prorated refund (minus a small fee) on an Apple gift card. Consumers who opt to go monthly can cancel their subscription at any time.

The cost of AppleCare+ and its service fees varies by device. Most devices only offer AppleCare+ as a one-time fee for a specific duration. However, AppleCare+ is available monthly for iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches.

Apple Music

Apple Music is perhaps one of Apple’s most popular services, with around 80+ million subscribers as of 2021. Apple Music launched in 2015 and is now the second most popular music streaming service on the market. With approximately 90 million songs, Apple Music offers more than double Spotify’s 40 million.

In addition, Apple Music features ad-free streaming, Spacial audio with Dolby Atmos, Lossless Audio, Siri integration, CarPlay support, and the ability to download up to 100,000 songs for offline listening.
Interestingly, Services seem to be a business where Apple has been willing to venture onto devices that aren’t within their walled garden. For example, Apple has made Apple Music available on all of their first-party platforms, as well as Android, Windows, Sonos, Google Nest, Amazon Echo, the PS5, and Smart TVs from Samsung and LG.

Apple Music offers several different pricing options for different types of customers. Their two most cost-effective options start at $4.99 per month for students or “voice-only” functionality. An individual can subscribe to Apple Music for $9.99 per month or $99 per year. If you have a family, you can pay $14.99 per month for access for six people. You get one month free as a first-time subscriber or six months free when buying an eligible Apple or Beats device.

iCloud+

iCloud+ is perhaps one of Apple’s most convenient but least-loved services. iCloud is a cloud storage and backup service for your files and data on your Apple devices. You get 5GB for free when you first create an Apple ID. However, 5GB is not a lot of storage for any modern user. Enter iCloud+. iCloud+ is Apple’s paid tier that doesn’t just grant users more iCloud storage but also access to iCloud Private Relay, Hide My Email, HomeKit Secure Video, and the ability to use a custom email domain.

Private Relay is a VPN-like feature currently in beta that masks your IP address and encrypts unencrypted website traffic. iCloud Private Relay is only available when using Safari. It offers a more secure and private way to browse the internet.

Hide My Email is a feature where iCloud allows you to create endless disposable email addresses that automatically forward to your actual email address. Then, suppose a company starts to spam your inbox. In that case, you can delete the disposable address, and emails will stop getting forwarded to your primary email.

HomeKit Secure Video is Apple’s secure way to ensure that your home security camera footage is processed and stored securely. HomeKit-compatible cameras that support HomeKit Secure Video don’t send your video through the manufacturers’ servers. Instead, your home hub, like a HomePod or Apple TV, does all the intelligence processing and encryption on device and only sends it to Apple for storage in an unreadable form.

Finally, if you own your a domain, like mobilesyrup.com, you can now create your own emails ending in that domain and have them hosted by Apple. This feature is called Custom Email Domains.

iCloud+ is $1.29 per month for 50GB of storage and a single HomeKit Secure Video camera. $3.99 gets you 200GB of storage and support for five cameras. Lastly, for $12.99, you get 2TB of storage and support for unlimited HomeKit Secure cameras. The 200GB and 2TB iCloud+ tiers are sharable with up to six family members.

Apple Fitness+

Apple Fitness+ is a fitness service designed to work exclusively with the Apple Watch. Fitness+ gives you access to high-quality on-demand video workouts that showcase regular, advanced, and alternate workouts in every video. What’s unique is that your heart rate, activity rings, timer, and calories burned show up on the screen so you can track your progress as you proceed with your workout.

Fitness+ features categories of workouts including strength, core, HIIT, yoga, pilates, meditation, treadmill, cycling, dance, rowing, and mindful cooldowns. Additionally, Apple Fitness+ offers Time to Run and Time to Walk workouts that share celebrity stories. All of the music featured in Apple Fitness+ even shows up in Apple Music playlists for you to enjoy later on. If you’re elderly, pregnant, postpartum, or just starting, Apple Fitness+ has workouts for you.

Apple Fitness+ is available on iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS with the ability to AirPlay to other displays. Fitness+ is $12.99 per month or $99.99 for a year. Both plans allow for sharing with up to six family members. First-time Apple Watch buyers can even get three months of Apple Fitness+ for free!

Apple TV+

When Apple TV+ first launched on November 1st, 2019, people criticized the lack of a backlog of content. However, in 2022 while Apple TV+ doesn’t have the most extensive library, it does have one of the most well-loved and highest quality libraries. Apple’s content teams have focused on empowering Hollywood and hiring top talent. This has created amazing stories like Ted Lasso, Severance, and WeCrashed.

Meanwhile, Apple has ensured that all of its content is 4K quality and supports Dolby Vision and Spacial audio with Dolby Atmos. Apple TV+ is available on all of Apple’s platforms and nine other smart TVs, media boxes, and gaming systems. You can even watch Apple TV+ at tv.apple.com.

Apple TV+ is entirely ad-free except when watching their newly added MLB Friday night baseball series live. You can subscribe to Apple TV+ for $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year and receive seven days free. If you purchase a new iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV, you can get three months for free. Apple TV+ is available for up to six family members and offers offline downloads.

Apple Arcade

Apple Arcade might be your service if you’re interested in mobile gaming. Apple launched Apple Arcade, intending to deliver high-quality ad-free games with no in-app purchases for a single monthly fee. The mobile gaming service offers over 200 games, with the company’s plan to keep adding more titles.

Apple Arcade games are built to run on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV! Many are even compatible with an Xbox or PS5 controller. New Apple Arcade subscribers get one month free and then pay $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year after the trial ends. Your price even includes family sharing, so up to six people can access Apple Arcade.

Apple News+

Apple News+ provides a collection of hundreds of newspapers and magazines, all for one monthly fee. While Apple News+ lives in the Apple News app, it is a separate paid service. Apple News is a curated collection of publicly available news sources brought into one place. Apple News+ bundles what would traditionally be separate paid magazine or newspaper subscription services and brings them under one service.

Some Apple News+ content is PDFs, while others are specially designed content specifically for News+. You can access Apple News+ from the Apple News app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. In addition, magazines and articles can be saved for offline use when not connected to the internet.

Subscribing to Apple News+ will give you access to big names like The Global and Mail, The Wall Street Journal, and Maclean’s. News+ is $12.99 per month with no additional paywalls after a one-month free trial for new users. Additionally, News+ is available for up to six family members with family sharing.

Apple One

We explored the seven paid services Apple offers in Canada in the above sections. However, subscribing to each of them can get a tad pricy. Apple offers three Apple One bundles as a way to subscribe to multiple of their services and receive a slight discount while you’re at it. The only service Apple doesn’t include in any of their bundles is AppleCare+. Still, all of their bundles come with a one-month free trial for first-time subscribers.

For $15.95 per month, you can get Apple One Individual. This plan includes Apple Music’s individual plan, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 50GB of iCloud+. Subscribers will save $7 per month. Apple One Family includes Apple Music for families, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 200GB of iCloud+. Apple One Family costs $20.95 per month, saving subscribers $10 per month. Lastly, there’s Apple One Premier which is $33.95 per month and includes Apple Music for families, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+, and 2TB of iCloud+. Apple One Premier subscribers will save $32 per month compared to subscribing to each service individually.

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Mobile Syrup

Streaming in Canada on Prime Video, Apple TV+, Crave, Disney+ and Netflix [April 25-May 1]

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+ will be mentioned when relevant. Premium video on demand (PVOD) platforms are also fair game as movies continue to come to digital early amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

Undone (Season 2) [Amazon Original]

After Alma discovers that Becca is a time traveler like her, the sisters use their powers to solve why their mother suffers from depression.

Undone was created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg and Kate Purdy (BoJack Horseman) and stars Rosa Salazar (Alita: Battle Angel), Angelique Cabral (Life in Pieces), Constance Marie (George Lopez) and Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul).

Amazon Prime Video premiere date: April 29th, 2022
Genre: Animated comedy-drama
Runtime: Eight episodes (23 to 26 minutes each)

Stream Undone here.

An Amazon Prime Video subscription is included at no additional cost with an Amazon Prime membership, which costs $79/year.

The full list of movies and shows that hit Prime Video in April can be found here. A roundup of May’s new content is available here.

Apple TV+

Shining Girls [Apple Original]

A woman discovers that a recent murder is linked to a traumatic incident from her past, leading her to team with a journalist to travel through time and solve the case.

Based on Lauren Beukes’ 2013 novel of the same name, Shining Girls was created by Silka Luisa (Strange Angel) and stars Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale), Wagner Moura (Narcos), Jamie Bell (Rocketman) and Phillipa Soo (Hamilton).

Apple TV+ Canada premiere date: April 29th, 2022 (first three episodes, new episode every Friday)
Genre: Sci-fi thriller
Runtime: Eight episodes (around one hour each)

Stream Shining Girls here.

An Apple TV+ subscription costs $5.99/month.

Crave

I Love That For You

An aspiring home shopping channel host lies about her cancer returning to keep her job.

Inspired by Vanessa Bayer’s (Saturday Night Live) experience with leukemia, I Love That For You was created by Bayer and Jeremy Beiler (Saturday Night Live) and stars Bayer, Molly Shannon (The White Lotus), Jenifer Lewis (Black-ish) and Matt Rogers (Las Culturistas).

Crave premiere date: April 29th, 2022 (first episode, new episode every Friday)
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: Eight episodes (around half an hour each)

Stream I Love That For You here.

The Survivor

The Survivor is based on the true story of Harry Haft, a man who boxed fellow inmates of Auschwitz to survive.

The film was directed by Barry Levinson (Rain Man) and stars Ben Foster (Hell or High Water), Vicky Krieps (A Most Wanted Man), Billy Magnussen (Made For Love) and Peter Sarsgaard (Dopesick).

Crave premiere date: April 27th, 2022
Genre: Biographical drama
Runtime: 2 hours, 9 minutes

Stream The Survivor here.

We Own This City

Based on Baltimore Sun reporter Justin Fenton’s book of the same name, We Own This City explores the corruption of the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force.

The series was created by George Pelecanos and David Simon (The Wire) and stars Jon Bernthal (The Punisher), Wunmi Mosaku (Loki), Jamie Hector (The Wire) and Josh Charles (The Good Wife).

Crave premiere date: April 25th, 2022 (first episode, new episode every Monday)
Genre: Crime drama
Runtime: Six episodes (around one hour each)

Stream We Own This City here.

We’re All Gonna Die [Crave Original]

Montreal’s Jay Baruchel (This is the End) speaks with top scientists, activists, and experts to examine various ways the world could come to an end, including an asteroid Armageddon, volcanic cataclysm and alien invasion.

Crave premiere date: April 30th, 2022 (all episodes)
Genre: Docuseries
Runtime: Six episodes (around half an hour each)

Stream We’re All Gonna Die here.

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 that hit Crave in April can be found here. A roundup of May’s new content is available here.

Disney+

Sketchbook [Disney+ Original]

Each episode of this docuseries focuses on a single artist creating an iconic Walt Disney Animation Studios character, including Mark Henn (The Lion King‘s Simba), Eric Goldberg (Aladdin‘s Genie) and Hyun-Min Lee (Frozen‘s Olaf).

Disney+ Canada premiere date: April 27th, 2022 (all episodes)
Genre: Docuseries
Runtime: Six episodes (22 to 23 minutes each)

Stream Sketchbook here.

A Disney+ subscription costs $11.99/month or $119.99/year.

The full list of movies and shows that hit Disney+ Canada in April can be found here. A roundup of May’s new content is available here.

Netflix

Bubble [Netflix Original]

In a post-apocalyptic Tokyo overrun by bubbles and gravitational abnormalities, a young man has a fateful meeting with a mysterious girl.

Bubble was directed by Tetsurō Araki (Attack on Titans) and features the voices of Jun Shison (D-BOYS), Riria (Ressha Sentai ToQger) and Mamoru Miyano (Kingdom Hearts series).

Netflix Canada premiere date: April 28th, 2022
Genre: Anime drama
Runtime: 1 hour, 41 minutes

Stream Bubble here.

Grace and Frankie (Season 7B) [Netflix Original]

In the final batch of episodes of Grace and Frankie, Grace, Frankie, Robert and Sol all drive each other crazy at the beach house.

Grace and Frankie was created by Marta Kauffman (Friends) and Howard J. Morris (Home Improvement) and stars Jane Fonda (Coming Home), Lily Tomlin (The Magic School Bus), Sam Waterston (Law & Order) and Martin Sheen (The West Wing).

Netflix Canada premiere date: April 29th, 2022
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 12 episodes (27 to 34 minutes each)

Stream Grace and Frankie here.

Ozark (Season 4B) [Netflix Original]

In the final batch of Ozark episodes, find out what happens with the Byrde family.

Ozark was created by Bill Debuque and Mark Williams (The Accountant) and stars Jason Bateman (Arrested Development), Laura Linney (The Savages), Sofia Hublitz (MasterChef Junior) and Julia Garner (Inventing Anna).

Netflix Canada premiere date: April 29th, 2022
Genre: Drama
Runtime: Seven episodes (54 to 72 minutes each)

Stream Ozark here.

Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles

Hoping to become a true samurai, a teenage rabbit teams up with other warriors to protect their city from monsters, ninjas and aliens.

Based on Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo comics, Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles was created by Doug and Candie Landale (The Weekenders and The Adventures of Puss in Boots, respectively) and features the voices of Darren Barnett (Never Have I Ever), Aleks Le (Demon Slayers: Kimetsu no Yaiba), Mallory Low (DC Super Hero Girls) and Toronto’s own Eric Bauza (Looney Tunes).

Netflix Canada premiere date: April 28th, 2022
Genre: Animated action-comedy
Runtime: 10 episodes (22 to 26 minutes each)

Stream Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles here.

A ‘Basic’ Netflix subscription costs $9.99/month, a ‘Standard’ subscription (HD-supported) costs $16.49/month and a ‘Premium’ membership is priced at $20.99/month (4K-supported).

The full list of movies and shows that hit Netflix in April can be found here. A roundup of May’s new content is available here.

What are you planning on streaming this week? Let us know in the comments.

For more suggestions, check out last week’s column.

As a companion piece, we’ve also put together a list of shows and movies to stream after you’ve watched Apple’s recently wrapped Severance (Season 1).

Image credit: Netflix

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Mobile Syrup

Apple greenlights Pachinko for a second season on Apple TV+

Apple has ordered a second season of Pachinko for Apple TV+. The Season 2 order comes as the season finale of its first season. Pachinko hails from creator Soo Hugh who also serves as writer and executive producer. The series is based on the best-selling novel of the same name, written by Min Jin Lee.

“Words cannot express my joy in being able to continue telling the extraordinary story of this indomitable family,” Hugh expresses in a statement. “I’m grateful to the amazing team at Apple and Media Res studio for believing and supporting this show and to our passionate fans who have cheered us on. It’s an honour to be able to continue working with this amazing cast and crew.”

Apple’s Pachinko focuses on a Korean immigrant family across four generations. It begins in the early 1900s and follows the family as they leave their homeland. The story is told from the perspective of Sunja. As the series looks at different time vertices of the family, Sunja is played by three actors. Yuh-Jung Youn stars as an older Sunja. Minha Kim plays teenage Sunja, while Yuna takes on the role of young Sunja. The series also stars Lee Minho, Jin Ha, Anna Sawai, Eunchae Jung, and Inji Jeong.

According to Apple, Season 2 of Pachinko will continue its story focused on “war and peace, love and loss, triumph and reckoning. The new season will continue the riveting story that spans generations and is told across three languages – Korean, Japanese and English.”

Pachinko began on Apple TV+ with a three-episode premiere on March 25th, 2022. The series continued on a week-to-week basis, concluding on April 28, 2022.

Apple TV+ is available in Canada for $5.99/month.

Image credit: Apple

Source: Variety

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Mobile Syrup

What to stream in Canada after Apple TV+’s Severance

One of the surprise TV hits of the year is Severance.

The Apple TV+ sci-fi thriller series has received rave reviews for its gripping mystery-filled story about people who undergo a procedure to separate their work and personal memories for a shady corporation.

Here’s the trailer:

 

And here’s the incredible, haunting opening title sequence:

The series, created by Dan Erickson and co-directed by Ben Stiller, stars Adam Scott, Zach Cherry, Britt Lower, John Turturro, Tramell Tillman, Patricia Arquette and Christopher Walken.

If you’re like me and have devoured the show since its finale earlier this month, you might be looking for something to fill the void until the now-confirmed second season. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up 10 shows and movies that are similar to Severance, be it through story, themes or general vibes. As you’ll notice, many of these feature sci-fi concepts and/or people rebelling against morally corrupt companies, just like Severance.

Without further ado, here are eight shows (and two movies) to watch after Severance.

Black Mirror

When people talk about “cautionary media tales about technology,” Black Mirror is pretty much the go-to modern example. Outside of a few exceptions, the Charlie Brooker-created series has quite the bleak outlook on both current and hypothetical sinister uses of technology. On the whole, it’s darker than Severance, although it does explore different genres through a sci-fi lens, including romance (“San Junipero”), horror (“Playtest”) and black comedy (“National Anthem”). Best of all, each episode is standalone, so you can dip your feet into whichever sounds most appealing.

Runtime: 22 episodes (41 minutes to 1 hour, 29 minutes each)
Genre: Sci-fi anthology

Stream Black Mirror on Netflix. It’s also worth noting that a standalone film, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, is also available on Netflix. Unlike the Black Mirror episodes, though, it’s an interactive “choose-your-own-adventure” experience.

Brazil

While this list is mostly focused on shows, we’re including a couple of movies based on cited influences by Severance creator Dan Erickson.

Set in a dystopian society, Terry Gilliam’s Brazil follows a bureaucrat who becomes the enemy of the state when he pursues the woman of his dreams. Jonathan Pryce, Kim Griest, Robert De Niro, Katherine Helmond and Ian Holm star.

Runtime: Eight episodes (43 to 57 minutes each)
Genre: Dystopian, black-comedy

Unfortunately, Brazil isn’t currently on a streaming service. You can, however, rent it on premium video on demand (PVOD) platforms like iTunes and Google Play for $4.99 CAD.

Devs

This show is probably the closest 1:1 comparison to Severance, in that it’s a conspiracy-ridden sci-fi thriller that follows a software engineer investigating the death of her boyfriend at a shady tech company.

The miniseries was created by acclaimed Ex Machina filmmaker Alex Garland and stars Sonoya Mizuno, Nick Offerman, Jin Ha, Zach Grenier and Toronto’s own Alison Pill.

Runtime: Eight episodes (43 to 57 minutes each)
Genre: Sci-fi thriller

Stream Devs on Disney+.

Homecoming

Another show, another mysterious company. This anthology series follows an unconventional wellness company and its ‘Homecoming Initiative,’ which helps soldiers re-transition into civilian life.

Based on Gimlet Media’s podcast of the same name, Homecoming was created by Eli Horowitz and Micah Bloomberg and features two different stories in each season. The first season features Julia Roberts, Bobby Cannavale, Shea Wigham and Toronto’s own Stephan James, while Season 2 stars Janelle Monáe, Joan Cusack, Chris Cooper and James.

Runtime: Two seasons (17 episodes at 24 to 37 minutes each)
Genre: Psychological thriller

Stream Homecoming here.

Made For Love

Hazel escapes from a toxic marriage with tech billionaire Byron Gogol, only to discover that her husband is tracking her through a chip he implanted in her head.

While that’s an undeniably creepy premise, the show is a dark comedy overall, featuring fun performances from Cristin Milioti (Hazel), Billy Magnussen (Byron) and, especially, Ray Romano as Hazel’s sex doll-loving dad.

Runtime: Eight episodes (first season)
Genre: Sci-fi, dark comedy

Stream Made For Love (Season 1) on Amazon Prime Video. The second season of the show is premiering in the U.S. on HBO Max on April 28th, but Prime Video Canada isn’t getting it until May 20th.

Maniac

Two strangers, Annie (Emma Stone) and Owen (Jonah Hill), connect while undertaking a mind-bending pharmaceutical trial in a retro-future New York City.

Notably, Patrick Somerville, who was the showrunner of Made For Love, created this miniseries, which was itself based on one from Norway. No Time to Die director Cary Joji Fukunaga also helmed every episode of Maniac.

Runtime: Ten episodes (26 to 47 minutes each)
Genre: Psychological, dark-comedy

Stream Maniac on Netflix.

Mr. Robot

A mentally ill cybersecurity engineer joins a hacktivist group targeting the largest conglomerate in the world (See a pattern here?).

The Sam Esmail-created series stars Rami Malek, Christian Slater, Carly Chaikin, Portia Doubleday and Michael Cristofer.

Runtime: Four seasons (45 episodes at 40 to 65 minutes each)
Genre: Drama, thriller

Stream Mr. Robot on Amazon Prime Video.

The Truman Show

Here’s another film that Erickson has said influenced Severance, and it’s easy to see how. The Peter Weir-directed film follows a man (Newmarket, Ontario’s own Jim Carrey) who discovers that his seemingly ordinary life was actually a reality TV show.

Runtime: 1 hour, 43 minutes
Genre: Psychological, comedy-drama

Unfortunately, like Brazil, The Truman Show isn’t actually on a streaming service at the moment. Instead, you can rent it on PVOD platforms like Google Play ($3.99) and iTunes ($4.99).

Upload

After dying prematurely, a computer engineering grad gets “uploaded” into a virtual afterlife and must adjust to the pros and cons of his new existence.

The Office‘s Greg Daniels created the series, which gives you an idea of the tone (i.e. it’s not dark like Severance). Notably, Upload stars Toronto’s own Robbie Amell and was also filmed in Vancouver.

Runtime: Two seasons (17 episodes at 24 to 46 minutes each)
Genre: Sci-fi, comedy-drama

Stream Upload on Amazon Prime Video.

Westworld

High-paying guests visit a technologically-advanced Wild West-themed amusement park, which is run by android “hosts.”

Based on Michael Chrichton’s 1973 film of the same name, Westworld was created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy and features an ensemble cast that includes Evan Rachel Wood, Thandiwe Newton, Jeffrey Wright, James Marsden, Anthony Hopkins, Tessa Thompson and Aaron Paul.

Runtime: Three seasons (28 episodes at 57 to 91 minutes each)
Genre: Sci-fi, dystopian

Stream Westworld on Crave.

Honourable mentions: This is focused on streaming, but we’ll also quickly shout out some video games. Erickson has publicly noted that The Stanley Parable — a first-person narrative PC game about a worker in an office building that’s getting a new release on consoles — influenced Severance. As well, Remedy’s third-person shooter Control — a mind-bending adventure set in an eerie bureau — has some strong visual and thematic ties to Apple’s show.

Are you also obsessed with Severance? Which of these shows and movies do you like or, alternatively, are considering watching for the first time? Let us know in the comments.

Image credit: Apple

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Tech is taking over TV, and I love it

Tech-related dramas are a genre that doesn’t usually get a lot of attention, but over the past year, that’s changed. With Showtime’s Super Pumped, The Dropout on Netflix and WeWorked and Mythic Quest on Apple TV+, it’s never been a better time to be a nerd watching TV.

You could argue that Silicon Valley‘s run coinciding with Halt and Catch Fire and Mr. Robot in 2015-2018 was a better era, but those TV shows are complete fiction, and I’m currently living for workplace tech shows based on the real world that have dropped recently.

Obviously, as a MobileSyrup reporter/creator, I’m contractually obligated to watch Silicon Valley every two years, so that’s what kicked off my recent tech TV binge, but after delving into The Dropout and Super Pumped, I’m really excited for more.

The Dropout

The Dropout is a Hulu original series in the U.S, but in Canada, it’s available on Disney+ through its Star section. The show is eight episodes long and seems to have had a high-enough budget that I’d go so far as to describe it as prestige television. It’s based on the life of Elizabeth Holmes (Amanda Seyfried) as she drops out of Stanford to start Theranos, a blood-testing tech startup that turned out to be a complete fraud. I won’t spoil too much of the show, but in real-life, Holmes rose to prominence with the promise of upending the blood-testing industry with modern tech but failed to deliver in spectacular fashion.

The show illustrates a lot of what happened behind the scenes, including Holmes’s love life, family and the turmoils the whistleblowers at Theranos went through. MobileSryup‘s favourite actor William H. Macy even appears in a recurring role.

Super Pumped

After The Dropout, I moved over to Bell’s Crave streaming service to watch Super Pumped. This was partly to continue my tech TV binge, but also because my girlfriend and I adore Joseph Gordon-Levitt. This show is focused on the early days of Uber and its co-founder and then-CEO, Travis Kalanick.

The TV show jumps through time to outline Uber’s beginnings, its battle with Lyft and the Apple App Store, the infamous “Boober” comments, and the culture of toxic masculinity at the company. I found this TV show to be better than The Dropout because it’s slightly more dynamic and creative. Plus, Gordon-Levitt’s star power is magnetic.

That’s also where my only issue with the show stems from. I find Gordon-Levitt’s portrayal of Kalanick to be more likable than it should be, given everything we know about Uber’s former CEO. In my mind, Kalanick is more of a frat bro, but Gordon-Levitt’s take on the CEO is balanced and at times, oddly lovable, especially when you see the pain in his eyes as even his mom starts to turn on him.

With all of this in mind, Super Pumped is still highly entertaining, and Kyle Chandler’s performance as Bill Gurley is great. The TV show has been renewed for a second season.

WeCrashed

Next on my list is WeCrashed on Apple TV+ starring Anne Hathaway and Jared Leto. The last thing I saw Leto in was the House of Gucci where I’d argue he played a high-fashion Super Mario, so I can’t say I’m really looking forward to his performance. But I need to subscribe to Apple TV+ to catch Severance, anyway, so I guess I might as well check out WeCrashed while I’m at it.

On a personal level, the drama at WeWork is something I know very little about, so I’ll be going into this show blind. This is refreshing compared to the other tech-focused TV shows I mentioned in this story since I followed the real-world news they’re based on as it unfolded in real life.

With that in mind, the trailer looks very hype, and Anne Hathaway is an on-screen force.

Beyond that, HBO is working on a show called Doomsday Machine that focuses on Facebook and its COO Sheryl Sandberg during the rise of online disinformation ahead of the 2016 U.S. election.

Source: IMDB, (1), (2)

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Streaming in Canada on Prime Video, AMC+, Apple TV+, Crave and Netflix [April 18-24]

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+ will be mentioned when relevant. Premium video on demand (PVOD) platforms are also fair game as movies continue to come to digital early amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Eddie Brock/Venom must face off with a serial killer who’s bonded with a symbiote to become Carnage.

Based on the Marvel Comics character Venom, Venom: Let There Be Carnage was directed by Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings franchise) and features returning Venom cast members Tom Hardy (Eddie Brock/Venom), Michelle Williams (Anne Weying) and Reid Scott (Dan Lewis), alongside series newcomers Woody Harrelson (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) and Naomie Harris (Moonlight).

Original theatrical release date: October 1st, 2021
Amazon Prime Video premiere date: April 23rd, 2022
Genre: Superhero
Runtime: 1 hour, 37 minutes

Stream Venom: Let There Be Carnage here.

A Very British Scandal [Amazon Original]

This miniseries dramatizes the real-life marriage of Ian and Margaret Campbell, the Duke and Duchess of Argyll, and the scandalous legal case they get caught up in.

A Very British Scandal was adapted by Sarah Phelps (Dublin Murders) and stars Claire Foy (The Crown) and Paul Bettany (WandaVision).

Original TV broadcast run: December 2021 (U.K.)
Amazon Prime Video premiere date: April 22nd, 2022
Genre: Historical drama
Runtime: Three episodes (58 to 59 minutes each)

Stream A Very British Scandal here.

An Amazon Prime Video subscription is included at no additional cost with an Amazon Prime membership, which costs $79/year.

The full list of movies and shows hitting Prime Video this month can be found here.

AMC+

Better Call Saul (Season 6)

In the final season of Better Call Saul, Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk) and Kim (Rhea Seehorn) plot their revenge against Howard (Patrick Fabian), while Gus (Giancarlo Esposito) and Mike (Jonathan Banks) face off against Lalo (Tony Dalton), with Nacho (Quebec City’s Michael Mando) getting caught in the middle.

Better Call Saul was created by Breaking Bad veterans Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould.

AMC/AMC+ premiere date: April 18th, 2022 (first two episodes, new episodes Mondays at 9pm ET)
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 13 episodes (around one hour each)

Note that only the first half of Season 6 is ongoing; following a brief hiatus, the second half premieres on July 11th.

Stream Better Call Saul Season 6 on Prime Video or Apple TV with an $8.99/month AMC+ membership.

Apple TV+

They Call Me Magic [Apple Original]

Rick Famuyiwa (Dope) directs this in-depth look at the career of NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson, featuring interviews with the likes of Magic, former U.S. President Barack Obama and entertainer LL Cool J.

Apple TV+ Canada premiere date: April 22nd, 2022
Genre: Sports documentary
Runtime: Four episodes (56 to 1 hour, 1 minute each)

Stream They Call Me Magic here.

An Apple TV+ subscription costs $5.99/month.

Crave

Barry (Season 3)

Barry (Saturday Night Live‘s Bill Hader) struggles to leave the hitman world and pursue acting, leading him to reflect on what compels him to violence in the first place.

Barry was co-created by Hader and Alec Berg (Seinfeld) and co-stars Stephen Root (King of the Hill), Vancouver’s Sarah Goldberg (Hindsight) and Henry Winkler (Happy Days).

Crave premiere date: April 24th, 2022 at 10pm ET (first episode, new episodes every Sunday at 10pm ET)
Genre: Dark comedy
Runtime: Eight episodes (around 30 minutes each)

Stream Barry here.

The Batman

Early in his crime-fighting career, Batman hunts down a serial killer known as The Riddler, whose crimes have a deeper connection to the Wayne family.

The Batman was co-written and directed by Matt Reeves (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) and stars Robert Pattinson (Good Time), Zoë Kravitz (Big Little Lies), Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood), Jeffrey Wright (Westworld), Colin Farrell (The Lobster), Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings series) and John Turturro (The Big Lebowski).

Original Canadian theatrical release date: March 4th, 2022
Crave premiere date: April 18th, 2022
Genre: Superhero
Runtime: 2 hours, 56 minutes

Stream The Batman here.

The Flight Attendant (Season 2)

Cassie (The Big Bang Theory‘s Kaley Cuoco) balances sobriety and CIA work in Los Angeles until an overseas assignment puts her at the centre of another murder mystery.

Based on Chris Bohjalian’s 2018 novel of the same name, The Flight Attendant was developed by Steve Yockey (Supernatural) and co-stars Zosia Mamet (Girls), T.R. Knight (Grey’s Anatomy) and Rosie Perez (Fearless).

Crave premiere date: April 21st, 2022 (first two episodes, new episodes every Thursday at 9pm ET)
Genre: Comedy-drama
Runtime: Eight episodes (around one hour each)

Stream The Flight Attendant here.

Gaslit

This series explores the U.S.’ infamous Watergate scandal from the perspective of Martha Mitchell, a socialite and wife to Richard Nixon’s Attorney General, John N. Mitchell.

Based on the first season of the “Slow Burn” podcast, Gaslit was created by Robbie Pickering (Mr. Robot) and stars Julia Roberts (Homecoming), Sean Penn (Milk), Dan Stevens (Legion), Betty Gilpin (GLOW) and Shea Wigham (Boardwalk Empire).

Crave premiere date: April 24th, 2022 (first episodes, new episodes every Sunday)
Genre: Political thriller
Runtime: Eight episodes (around one hour each)

Stream Gaslit here. Note that a $5.99/month Starz add-on is required.

The Man Who Fell to Earth

An alien comes to Earth seeking the one scientist who can save his species.

Based on Walter Tevis’ 1976 novel of the same name, The Man Who Fell to Earth was created by Jenny Lumet (Rachel Getting Married) and Alex Kurtzman (Fringe) and stars Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years A Slave), Naomie Harris (Moonlight), Jimmi Simpson (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Clarke Peters (The Wire) and Rob Delaney (Catastrophe).

Crave premiere date: April 24th, 2022 (first episode, new episodes every Sunday
Genre: Comedy-drama
Runtime: Eight episodes (around one hour each)

Stream The Man Who Fell to Earth here.

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

Oprah + Viola [Netflix Original]

Media mogul Oprah Winfrey interviews actress Viola Davis (How To Get Away With Murder) about her memoir, Finding Me.

Netflix Canada premiere date: April 22nd, 2022
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 48 minutes

Stream Oprah + Viola here.

Russian Doll (Season 2) [Netflix Original]

Nadia and Alan stumble into another existential adventure.

Russian Doll was created by Natasha Lyonne (Orange is the New Black), Leslye Headland (Sleeping With Other People) and Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) and stars Lyonne, Charlie Barnett (You), Greta Lee (The Morning Show) and Ottawa’s own Annie Murphy (Schitt’s Creek).

Netflix Canada premiere date: April 20th, 2022
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: Seven episodes (26 to 33 minutes each)

Stream Russian Doll here.

White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch [Netflix Original]

Director Alison Klayman (Jagged) explores the popularity of clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch in the ’90s and early 2000s and its exclusionary marketing strategy.

Crave premiere date: April 19th, 2022
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 1 hour, 28 minutes

Stream White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch here.

A ‘Basic’ Netflix subscription costs $9.99/month, a ‘Standard’ subscription (HD-supported) costs $16.49/month and a ‘Premium’ membership is priced at $20.99/month (4K-supported).

The full list of movies and shows hitting Netflix this month can be found here.

This week in Netflix news: After revealing that it faced its first subscriber loss in over a decade last quarter, the company has confirmed that it’s looking into rolling out a lower-cost, ad-enabled tier and paywall on password sharing. The streamer has also revealed what’s coming to its platform in Canada in May.

What are you planning on streaming? Let us know in the comments.

For more suggestions, check out last week’s Streaming in Canada column.

Image credit: Netflix

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Telus’ new streaming service bundles Netflix Premium, Apple TV+ and Discovery+

Telus has introduced the only streaming bundle in Canada.

Stream+ offers Netflix Premium, Apple TV+ and Discovery+ for $25, all on one bill.

A bundled option is something Telus customers have wanted for some time.

A survey commissioned by the company found 87 percent of respondents use at least one streaming service, and 90 percent of respondents would bundle the platforms if they could. 83 percent also believe it would be convenient to have all the services billed together.

Jim Senko, president of mobility solutions, confirmed to MobileSyrup the bundle only has one price tier.

Stream+ offers up to 20 percent in savings per month ($84 a year), compared to paying for each service separately.

The monthly cost for Netflix Premium alone is $20.99. Apple TV+ costs $5.99, and Discovery+ runs a price tag of $4.99 a month.

Customers with subscriptions to these platforms can transfer their billing to Telus. Doing so won’t change their preferences, history or user profile.

“Once their Stream+ account is activated, customers are redirected to the different platforms’ landing pages where they can enter their existing user ID to continue watching,” Senko said.

Customers who don’t subscribe to one or more streaming services can create accounts after signing up for Stream+.

The service is available to new and current Telus customers. Combined with one of Telus’ plans, it will allow customers to access the service at all times in 5G. Users can watch from multiple devices at one time.

“This is important for busy households where everyone has a different favourite show, and means everyone can stream what they want and at the same time,” Senko said.

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Apple reportedly still working on HomePod/Apple TV combo with FaceTime camera

Apple is reportedly still developing a HomePod that features a built-in Apple TV and a FaceTime camera, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

In his latest ‘Power On’ newsletter, Gurman says that the new HomePod is still on the way and emphasizes that the smart speaker remains “at the centre of Apple’s approach” to the home. This echoes what Tim Twerdhal, Apple’s vice president of product marketing for home audio, outlined in an interview with MobileSyrup last May.

Gurman first reported rumours of this combined device late last year, stating that the camera would be used to make video calls through a television, similar to Microsoft’s ill-fated 2nd-gen Kinect for the Xbox One. Since that initial rumour, this is the first time we’ve heard the project is still in development.

It’s unclear when Apple will show off its HomePod/Apple TV hybrid device. Apple discontinued its larger HomePod in March 2021 in favour of the smaller HomePod mini that launched in 2020.

Apple likely aims for this new HomePod concept to be the true successor to the original version of the smart speaker.

Source: Bloomberg