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Meta is blocking news in Canada to avoid paying publishers
It's a 'business decision' for Facebook and Instagram
Digital communication reigns supreme in our contemporary world, with social media sites transforming from purely social outlets into critical purveyors of news. Platforms ranging from Facebook to Instagram, and Twitter to Reddit, offer rapid, easy-to-digest access to global events. Yet, a recent development from Meta has introduced a disruptive element to this landscape.
Does Mint Mobile work in Canada?
Mint Mobile allows for international roaming, including in Canada, but it can get expensive rather quickly.
Mint Mobile is a prepaid carrier that offers data plan packages with discounts for those willing to purchase multiple months at once. Mint Mobile is owned by T-Mobile and uses the T-Mobile network for its coverage, including full access to 5G. While Mint's plans mostly focus on domestic usage, they do come with free calls to Mexico and Canada. If you're actually visiting one of these countries, though, the prices can get steep.
Does Visible work in Canada?
If you sign up for Visible+, you get talk, text, and data access while traveling in Mexico or Canada.
Visible is a prepaid carrier owned by Verizon that offers two cheap unlimited plans using Verizon LTE and 5G networks. Visible's cheapest plan, Visible, is a simple unlimited data plan with no frills and no international roaming. If you want more, upgrading to Visible+ for $15 more per month gives you faster 5G data and many more international perks. If you're traveling to Canada or Mexico frequently, Visible can be a great pick as long as you don't need too much data.
Google tries hiding news from some users to avoid paying publishers in Canada
The Australian government says making Google pay has helped its news media
Google is constantly at loggerheads with regulators over a number of issues such as privacy, market dominance, and compensating news publications for distributing their content across its platforms including it search engine and Google News. It seems the company has launched a salvo in Canada as lawmakers there continue to debate Bill C-18, dubbed the Online News Act, which would effectively propose a framework for platforms like Meta and Google to negotiate rates with publications for using their content. In a demonstration of its opposition to the bill, Google began blocking news content for under 4% of Canadian users.
Canada bans Huawei from its 5G networks
ZTE has also been barred from supplying 4G and 5G networking equipment
In 2019, amidst the trade war between the US and China, the Trump-led government passed an order banning Huawei from procuring and supplying 5G equipment to network operators in the country. The US was worried that the company could be conducting surveillance on behalf of the Chinese government, leading to this move. Later, the UK passed a similar law banning the Shenzhen-headquartered company from supplying components for its 5G network. Almost two years after it, the Canadian government is following suit in banning Huawei and ZTE — another Chinese state-owned firm — from providing 5G networking hardware due to security concerns.
As part of YouTube Music Premium (or YouTube Premium, they're interchangeable), subscribers who pay $10 a month get the privilege of streaming music without having to stay in the app — that means no switching away and no locking your screen. You know... like no other streaming music service out there. But there's a sign that perk won't be a paid one for long and it all starts in the Great North.
Google brings the joy of not having to wait on hold to Pixel phones in more countries
Users in Australia and Canada can start using Hold for Me to wait on their behalf
What's your absolutely least favorite way to spend time? Commuting in rush-hour traffic? Waiting in line to renew your license? Time was we'd be putting "sitting around listening to hold music" right up there near the top, but right around this time last year Google introduced its Hold for Me service, an Assistant-powered feature that could take over when a phone call left you on hold. With Hold for Me, you could go about your day while Assistant waited for a live person to finally show up. Now we're getting word that access to Hold for Me is expanding to users in some new regions.
The Official Pokémon YouTube channel has announced a new Pokémon game for Android, iOS, and the Nintendo Switch. It's called Pokémon Unite, and it's a MOBA. As you would expect, you'll be tasked with collecting Pokémon as part of the MOBA's team-based online-multiplayer battle arena gameplay. Unsurprisingly, Pokémon Unite is being developed in partnership with Tencent, so I fully expect the game to land as a blatant cash grab, just like Pokémon Café Mix. Clearly, The Pokemon Company is intent on running this franchise through the mud, just so long as it can make a quick buck with lazy clones on mobile. As expected, there is no release date, no talk of target regions, and of course, nobody's mentioned anything about monetization.
You might actually want to buy Google's new, cheaper Pixel Buds
Pre-orders for the $99 Pixel Buds A- Series will arrive by June 17
After confirming then un-confirming the existence of its newest and most affordable wireless earbuds to date, Google is going public with all the details about its Pixel Buds A-Series, including when you can get your hands on them and for how much.
This company will sell you a modified Galaxy S9 without any proprietary Google software
Previously available in Europe, two refurbished models running /e/ OS are now shipping to the US and Canada.
We're big fans of Google, obviously. But we also live in the real world, where Google does a lot of stuff that's unambiguously bad. If you want to use open source Android without getting its parent company involved, then you have a few options. Previously only available in Europe, the eSolutions shop is now selling versions of the Galaxy S9 scrubbed clean of all proprietary Google software to the US and Canada.
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Microsoft released its first Android phone back in 2020, the Surface Duo. It's the only modern Android device with two side-by-side displays (not counting the add-on cases for various LG phone), and even though it's still a questionable buy at its new 9 retail price, Microsoft plans to sell it in more regions this year, starting with Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany on February 18.
Play Store accepting gambling apps in US and 14 other countries starting March 1
Non-gambling contests get a boost in new policies
Up to now, Google has only Android users in the U.K., Ireland, France, and Brazil to download apps from the Play Store to partake in real money gambling. But starting from this spring, the company will enact a policy update to expand their availability to 15 countries including the United States.
Ring recall reminds owners to install 2nd-gen Video Doorbell correctly
Don't use a wood screw to install the thing, please
If you own a second-generation Ring Video Doorbell and haven't installed it yet, check to see if you've got the right screws for it: the Consumer Product Safety Commission in conjunction with Health Canada are recalling a total of more than 350,000 units. But unlike a lot of recalls, customers won't need to return their bells to the store.
Google Pay adds support for 24 new banks in 23 countries
Forget your wallet, grab your phone — you've got Google Pay
Google Pay continues to expand its support to additional international banks. To help you keep track of which financial institutions have added their credit and debit cards to the service, we've compiled a list of recent additions. Since we last looked in July, Google's added 24 new banks in 23 countries.
Talking trash on Discord is much more fun now with stickers
But they probably aren't coming to your country yet
Discord is a popular platform for communicating these days, and it's not just for gamers. The app has tested bottom navigation and added support for Google Play subscriptions recently, but there's one thing it hasn't had: stickers. Stickers are one of the most fun ways to express ourselves, and now they're coming to Discord officially.
The US and Canada are getting the Pixel 5 after everywhere else
And Japan gets the Pixel 4a 5G first
Google's Pixel 5 is official, and the pre-order floodgates have been opened. But this year, there's a bit of a twist when it comes to actual availability: The US and Canada won't be getting the phones first or on the same day as most other markets. In fact, we're getting it last, on October 29th compared to October 15th everywhere else.
It's taken months for all the colors to fall into place — almost four months, in fact — but the Google Store is now shipping the second-generation Pixel Buds in Just White, Oh So Orange, Quite Mint, and Almost Black to customers in the United States.
Google clarifies that Canadian Pixel 4a buyers who opted for a trade-in won't be left without a phone
You won't have to use a landline or something in the meantime after all
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The Pixel 4a is undoubtedly an incredible value on the smartphone market right now, but its weakest point is still its maker — Google. The search giant has messed up the logistics so often in its relatively short existence in the smartphone space that we’ve frankly lost count. The brand-new Pixel 4a couldn’t avoid the inevitable either, but Google’s latest snafu sounds fresh; hear me out. The company is asking its Canadian customers to ship back their existing phones more than a week before the Pixel 4a is expected to reach them.
Google Pixel Buds 2 are now available in Canada, the UK, and many more markets
The long, long wait is finally over
It was all the way back in October 2019 when the 2nd-generation Pixel Buds were revealed at Google's big annual hardware event, which seems like such a long, long time ago now. It wasn't until April this year that customers in the US could get their hands on a pair, and until today there's been no availability outside the States. If you live in Canada, the UK, or one of several other lucky countries, you should now be able to make an order.
Amazon, through Insignia and Toshiba, is iterating on its entry-level 4K Fire TV Editions with new 43", 50", and 55" models for 2020. Some are available for purchase right now between the U.S. and Canada with stark differences in starting prices.All models run on the MediaTek T31 chipset with a multi-core GPU paired with 2GB of DDR3 RAM, seemingly enough for interfacing and streaming in 4K at 60fps. They come with an Alexa voice remote — its design refreshed for this year — and run off Fire OS 7 based off of Android 9 Pie.