Category: My Blog

With December already halfway over, the peak holiday season is almost upon us. In two weeks’ time, everyone will be off work, spending time with their friends, family and loved ones. Although a generally happy and carefree time, procrastinating about buying gifts, or just finding gifts for people that are difficult to shop for can make the carefree season full of anxiety and stress.

Luckily for you, MobileSyrup has put together an editorial gift guide to show off some of our top gift ideas for this year, be it for gamers, responsible adults that love to clean or movie lovers.

Browse below for links to smart vacuums, smart displays, electric scooters, and other fun tech accessories that would make for solid gifts this holiday season.

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.

Twelve months after police charged two men with compromising Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine management system, the province has identified and started notifying the 360,000 residents whose personal data was copied.

The Canadian Press reports the government said the delay is because of the time it took to determine the scale and impact of the breach.

The province said for about 95 per cent of the 360,000 people affected, only their names and/or phone numbers were involved. CITY-TV news quoted the province saying that four per cent of individuals had their health card number compromised.

Two people – a 22-year-old from Gloucester, Ont. who worked at the vaccine contact centre in the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services, and a Quebec man – have been each charged with unauthorized use of a computer.

CBC News reported that authorities became suspicious when people who had scheduled their vaccine appointments or accessed their vaccine certificates through the provincial booking system complained of getting spam text messages asking for personal information.

The post Ontario alerting 360,000 their personal information taken in data breach first appeared on IT World Canada.

Tech reporters have the luxury of trying out new gadgets all the time. Unfortunately, the focus is often on what’s new, and after the initial review, there often isn’t much written about how products hold up over time. With that in mind, MobileSyrup wants to start revisiting some old tech we’ve used beyond that initial review period to see what holds up and what doesn’t. I’ll be kicking things off the Microsoft Surface Earbuds, which sound as good today as when I reviewed them in May 2020.

That said, when I reviewed the Surface Earbuds, I wrote that they don’t offer the best sound. That remains true — I could use a nice pair of over-ear headphones and get better sound quality. However, that applies to just about every pair of wireless earbuds. Over-ear headphones will almost always sound better thanks to the larger drivers, and wired headphones can go even further for those who want to take advantage of high-fidelity music.

But for me, the Surface Earbuds sound good enough to serve as my primary listening device. Aside from the headphones I use when gaming on my PC, the Surface Earbuds have been my go-to for listening to music and podcasts while working from home, travelling to the office on the train, and more.

Moreover, the battery life has held up well on the Surface Earbuds. In my initial review, I wrote that I could get five-and-a-half to six hours of listening on a charge. Honestly, I rarely use the earbuds for more than a few hours at a time these days. It’s not that the battery doesn’t last that long, I just find my ears start to get uncomfortable after a few hours (and the Surface Earbuds are among the more comfortable earbuds I’ve tried). I can usually wear headphones for longer, but that’s because they don’t sit in my ear like earbuds.

Similarly, the charging case has held up well, and beyond quite a few scratches, it still works great and keeps my earbuds topped up. I still wish it had wireless charging, but I don’t mind occasionally plugging in the charging case.

While some might not like spending $259.99 on wireless earbuds without noise cancellation, I’ve come to appreciate not having it over the last two years. I mostly use the Surface Earbuds while working at home or while commuting. When at home, usually, it’s quiet enough that I don’t need noise cancellation, and I appreciate being able to hear what’s going on around me in case someone needs to get my attention. While commuting, I also like hearing what’s going on around me while I’m walking, so I don’t miss my stop on the train. Sure, having the option to toggle on noise cancellation when I need it would be nice, but I haven’t felt like I needed it so far.

On top of all that, the Surface Earbuds lasted two-and-a-half years. I didn’t realize just how long that was until the other evening when a friend told me they were on their fourth pair of earbuds this year. Moreover, MobileSyrup editor-in-chief Patrick O’Rourke ran into noise cancellation issues with the first-gen AirPods Pro roughly six months after getting a pair, although that was a larger problem that Apple ultimately launched a replacement program for. While admittedly a small sample size, it struck me that I’ve used the Surface Earbuds for years and connected them to tons of smartphones and laptops without any issues.

Plus, the Surface Earbuds are still among the most unique earbuds available, save for maybe Samsung’s beans Galaxy Buds Live. I still get occasional comments from people over the Surface Earbuds because they kinda look like spacers in my ears.

Microsoft still sells the Surface Earbuds for $259.99 in ‘Glacier’ and the much cooler ‘Graphite.’

At The Game Awards 2022, several game trailers and reveals were featured.

Some of my favourite trailers from the event include Hades II, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Remnant 2, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, Lords of the Fallen 2, and even Wild Hearts, although that game seems Monster Hunter-like, which I’m not a fan of.

These titles looked excellent and were nearly all up my alley. I loved Hades, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Remnant from the Ashes, and while I didn’t play Lords of the Fallen, it’s a Souls-like, one of my favourite genres. With that in mind, I have high hopes for Lords of the Fallen 2 (hopefully, the balancing is fixed, given this was an issue with the first title).

And out of all of these games, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is the game I was the most hyped about. Let us know in the comments below which Game Awards trailer got you the most excited.

Also, if you missed the Game Awards, check out my recap of all the biggest announcements.

Apple’s new iPhone Camera Continuity feature makes setting up shots for video meetings a lot more fun, but unsurprisingly, it doesn’t work well with Google Chrome. However, I’ve found it works great in the beta version, Chrome Canary.

This suggests that the situation will improve with standard Chrome soon, but if you’re like me and want to jump on things early, this workaround is fairly seamless. You can also try these steps in your Chrome version since I have seen reports online of it working in the standard build.

To start, you need to ensure that you have macOS Ventura and iOS 16 downloaded on your iPhone. Once those updates are finalized, you should be able to select your iPhone from the dropdown menu of any webcam software as long as your phone and Mac are close together. Sadly, it doesn’t seem to work that seamlessly yet, but I expect that most major apps will update to support it.

What to do in Chrome?

Once you’ve downloaded Chrome Canary, open the app’s Settings page via the three-dot menu in the top right-hand corner. From there, open the ‘Privacy and Security sub-menu and choose ‘Camera:’

Settings>Privacy and Security>Camera

Sometimes it takes a few seconds to appear, but a dropdown menu should be at the top of the page, allowing you to choose your preferred camera. If your iPhone isn’t on the list, try opening up FaceTime and seeing if it’s available there.

Once FaceTime is activated, you can open the ‘Video’ option from the Menu bar, and your iPhone should be listed as a camera.

Does it work in other browsers?

Reports show it works well in the Brave browser and Microsoft Edge. Surprisingly, I’ve had little success with it in Safari.

Apple also notes on its support page that if the feature isn’t working, you can try the following troubleshooting steps;

There’s no doubt using Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in the car makes for a safer and more connected driving experience. Maybe your vehicle already supports it, or maybe not. However, you have access to either platform, there are very good adapters bringing added convenience for you every time you get behind the wheel.

The latest vehicles may offer both of these platforms with wireless connectivity, but most current and past models don’t. You might even be driving a car that never supported them to begin with. That’s where these devices come in. While a couple may require more professional installation, the majority won’t require much know-how to get things up and running.

CPLAY2air

For iPhone users looking to cut the cord, the CPLAY2air adapter is dedicated to CarPlay, working with both factory and aftermarket head units. It’s currently compatible with the iPhone 6 or later, and a pretty simple setup where you only need to plug it into the vehicle’s USB-A port to kick off the process.

There are a couple of caveats in that your phone needs to only connect to the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections coming from the adapter. That means you would have to disconnect from your vehicle’s head unit if connected to it via Bluetooth. Doing that should ensure CarPlay works without issue on your dash screen.

It is possible to use this with multiple iPhones in the same car, particularly if you’re sharing the car with someone. There’s no app, but there is a way to connect to the device’s IP address through a browser on your phone to update the firmware.

Order the CPLAY2air directly from the company for $134.95.

Motorola MA1

For Android users, the Motorola MA1 dongle may be among the most high-profile because of who makes it. The general idea is similar to others in this list, where you plug the device into the USB-A port to get things started. There’s no app here to run through the process, but the instructions are pretty straightforward and easy to follow. You just need to connect to the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections to get it working.

The one visual indicator is the LED light on the dongle itself, telling you when it’s in the process of connecting or successfully connected. The two-sided adhesive that comes in the box isn’t very good, so you may want to consider good two-sided tape if you prefer to mount this on the dash somehow.

Order the Motorola MA1 from Amazon for $99.99.

AAWireless

Another one for Android users, the AAWireless started out with a crowdfunding campaign, and is now readily available to everyone. Here, too, you have a dongle you plug in to the vehicle’s USB port, only this time you have the AAWireless app to help run through things. Once set up, Android Auto will run wirelessly each time you start the car, albeit with varying times to start up. Sometimes, it can be really quick, other times, it may take over a minute to get going. It’s not entirely clear why.

The benefit of the app is that it also offers firmware updates and a series of more advanced features. For instance, certain GM and Volkswagen models may have trouble working with the device, so the app presents workarounds for those situations. It’s not a super seamless transition if you try using the device with multiple phones, but works great if you’re on your own.

Order the AAWireless directly from Amazon for $89.99.

Carlinkit 4.0

The Carlinkit 4.0 works with both CarPlay and Android Auto, and is best if you are using either one with a factory head unit. It doesn’t work properly with aftermarket head units, so best to avoid it if you have one installed. You need to be running iPhone 6 or later (iOS 10 or later) or an Android phone running Android 10 or later to get the wireless connection working.

With the initial compatibility in place, it should be an easy setup and steady connection throughout. It shares a lot of functional similarities to the CPLAY2air, right down to the browser-based connection for firmware updates.

Order Carlinkit 4.0 from Amazon or buy it directly from the company.

Ottocast U2-X

Ottocast likes to call the U2-X a “2-in-1 adapter” and the main reason is because it works the same way for both CarPlay and Android Auto to establish a wireless connection. The one catch is that it won’t work with BMW and Mitsubishi vehicles, so best to look elsewhere on this list for something else that’s compatible with those makes and models.

Despite the terribly translated website, the device does what it’s supposed to do, and can do so regardless of whether you plug it into a factory or aftermarket head unit. You can also update the firmware through a web browser.

Order the Otttocast U2-X from Amazon for $179. or buy it directly from the company for $180.52.

Carsifi

Here’s another one that started out as a crowdfunding campaign and is still primarily available through Kickstarter and Indiegogo or the Carsifi site. It’s only for Android Auto, designed as a plug-and-play device that’s easy to set up and manage. Like others on the list, you plug in the dongle, go through the brief setup process, and then have a wireless connection to the platform thereafter.

The device comes with extensive compatibility with both phones and vehicles. Aftermarket head units aren’t a problem, either. Carsifi also developed a companion app to keep things accessible, including for firmware updates or resetting the device in case you want to start over with it.

Order a Carsifi adapter from Amazon for $119 or buy it directly from the company $89 USD (about $121.50 CAD).

Car and Driver Intellidash+

This is much more than just a dongle, given it comes with a 7-inch IPS display of its own and is a possible solution if you’re driving a car that doesn’t have CarPlay or Android Auto support. The Intellidash+ is essentially an all-in-one product that can run in any vehicle. It comes with all necessary cables, including to ensure audio runs through the car stereo system and voice assistants, like Siri and Google Assistant, work properly.

Note that there are multiple devices under the Intellidash moniker. The Plus version is the one that enables wireless connections, whereas the non-Plus one does not. There are various ports to really tinker with if you want to expand on what it can do, but the gist is that you’re setting up an external display somewhere on your dash rather than replacing your car’s existing head unit display.

Order the Car and Driver Intellidash+ from Amazon for $119.

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

ChatGPT represents the perfect storm of two current hot AI topics – chatbots and GPT-3 – for together they offer a “wonderfully intriguing method of interacting with and producing content that sounds amazingly human,” says Bern Elliot, VP analyst with Gartner.

In a Q&A posted yesterday, entitled Why is ChatGPT Making Waves in the AI Market?, he said that each is the result of separate, significant improvements over the last five years in its respective technologies.

Chatbots, said Elliot, “allow interaction in a seemingly ‘intelligent’ conversational manner, while GPT-3 produces output that appears to have ‘understood’ the question, the content, and the context. Together this creates an uncanny valley effect of ‘Is it human or is it a computer? Or, is it a human-like computer?’ The interaction is sometimes humorous, sometimes profound, and sometimes insightful.”

Unfortunately, he adds, “the content is also sometimes incorrect, and the content is never based on a human-like understanding or intelligence. The problem may be with the terms ‘understand’ and ‘intelligent.’ These are terms loaded with implicitly human meaning, so when they are applied to an algorithm, it can result in severe misunderstandings.”

Elliot suggests that the more “useful perspective is to view chatbots and large language models (LLM) like GPT as potentially useful tools for accomplishing specific tasks, and not as parlor tricks. Success depends on identifying the applications for these technologies that offer meaningful benefits to the organization.”

The release of ChatGPT on Nov. 30 by OpenAI, a research and deployment company co-launched by Elon Musk, who later quit the organization, and Sam Altman, the current chief executive officer (CEO), has set off a firestorm of reaction across the globe. To call it an internet sensation is not an exaggeration, for within four days of its debut, the user count surpassed one million, a number that is expected to keep rising.

In a report released on Monday, Livy Investment Research described the launch as “today’s top trending topic in tech. Capable of generating both simple Q&A and complex deep dive analyses in response to brief text prompts, ChatGPT poses as a potential disruptor to tech norms today.”

Authors of the document note that GPT-3 has already been deployed across hundreds of applications since its introduction. While it “enables the generation of a text completion in natural language in response to simple text prompts from humans, the latest release of the ChatGPT chatbot’s availability to the public underscores the model’s significant improvements.”

They add that the “impressive capabilities of ChatGPT brings into question the viability of near-and-dear systems like Google Search, which is intricately linked to our day-to-day personal settings.”

Elliot, meanwhile, when asked about the potential use cases for it, particularly in the enterprise, said there are a number of possibilities: “At a high level, chatbots, or conversational assistants, provide a curated interaction with an information source. Chatbots themselves have many use cases, from customer service to assisting technicians in identifying problems.

“At a high level, ChatGPT is a specific chatbot use case where the chatbot is used to interact (chat) or ‘converse’ with a GPT information source. In this case, the GPT information source is trained for a specific domain by OpenAI. The training data used on the model determines the way questions will be answered. However, as noted earlier, GPT’s capability to unpredictively generate information that is false means that the information can only be used for situations where errors can be tolerated or corrected.”

In an introduction to his Q&A, Gartner’s press office notes that since its launch, “social media has been abuzz with discussions around the possibilities – and dangers – of this new innovation, ranging from its ability to debug code to its potential to write essays for college students.”

The post Gartner analyst explores impact of tech’s hottest topic – ChatGPT mania first appeared on IT World Canada.

Poncle’s time survival RPG title Vampire Survivors, which up until now, has been available on Windows, Mac, Xbox One and Xbox Series X, has released on iOS and Android, as announced during The Game Awards.

The title is available for free on the App Store and Play Store, in contrast to the $5 you have to pay to download the game on Steam and the Game Pass requirement for consoles.

The undead are coming to a new platform with our 2nd world premiere, it’s #VampireSurvivors! @poncule_vampire #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/R9qsYXhQNj

— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 9, 2022

The free-to-play game does, however, include ads on mobile. The auto shooter title allows movement controls, and the option to select a weapon and perks when you level up. There is no way to beat the survival game, and you’ll eventually die in-game. You can watch a video to receive an extra life when you die, and the same goes if you want to earn extra gold.

It’s currently unknown if Vampire Survivors will make its way to PlayStation consoles or the Nintendo Switch.

Notably, the title is also set to receive its first major expansion, called Legacy of the Moonspell, on December 15th. The DLC is set to cost $1.99, and will add new characters, weapons, and a new stage to the title.

For all of the major announcements from The Game Awards, follow this link.

Image credit: poncle

Source: @thegameawards

Fans of the ultralight and simplistic DJI Mini 2 from 2020 were likely put off but the pricey Mini 3 ‘Pro’ from early 2022. However, the Chinese camera company is returning to form with the excellent new Mini 3.

The latest sub-250g drone from DJI strips out the subject tracking, and a few other features from its Pro version to bring more value to the table. It’s all most people need and a great upgrade for owners of previous DJI Mini drones.

There are a few other tradeoffs, but for most hobbyists who enjoy ariel pictures and videos, the Mini 3’s light frame and incredible optics make it the perfect drone. Pros may look further up the DJI line, but the company has packed a lot of power into the small Mini 3.

What can it do?

The best thing about the DJI Mini 3 is that it retains the same camera and gimbal design as the Mini 3 Pro. This gets you a usable dynamic range, sharp images and the ability to position the camera vertically or horizontally.

The 48-megapixel camera is impressive, and the RAW files offer a lot of latitude when editing in post. Even in low-light, the wide f/1.7 aperture and 1/1.3-inch camera sensor capture great images and videos. The noise can be a little much sometimes, but the dual native ISO system DJI uses does an admirable job of keeping things sharp and visible without too much grain.

You can see more camera samples in our Mini 3 Pro review since both Cameras are similar.

DJI calls it HDR, but the footage is still in the Rec.709 codec. If that means anything to you, then you’ll want to consider a more robust drone like a Mavic 3. That said, the dynamic range from the footage is very usable and a solid step up over the Mini 2.

Since it’s been able to strip out so much from the Mini 3 Pro, the new Mini 3 has an even longer flight time. If you use the denser Intelligent Flight Battery Plus, you can get a maximum flight time of 51 minutes which is four minutes longer than the Mini 3 Pro with the same battery. The standard battery gets you off the ground for 38 minutes, a four-minute improvement over the Pro version of the Mini 3.

Perhaps more notably, this is seven minutes longer than the Mini 2, and the overall hardware has better wind resistance. Therefore, it should last substantially longer than the Mini 2 in windy conditions. These battery stats are very impressive. This is the first time I’ve rarely used more than one battery per flight with a drone, which is great news for pilots looking to travel light.

What it’s missing?

Compared to the Mini 3 Pro, the new drone offers several of the same properties, but since it doesn’t feature forward and backward-facing sensors, it can’t do DJI’s ‘Active Track,’ a bummer for one-person crews.

Active Tracking is helpful, but this feature led to most of my crashes in my time reviewing the Mini 3 Pro. When I set up the drone to track me, it became harder to pay as much attention to it in the air, leading to unfortunate collisions. I’d also say that the Active Tracking feature is a more complex skill to use when filming, so it’s not something that most people will miss.

The new Mini 3 also features DJI’s older ‘O2’ transmission system, so it can only fly in a range of 10km around the pilot instead of 12km. It’s not that much of a difference, but the extra 2km of wireless range on the Pro version of the drone is convenient.

The company’s timelapse and MasterShot modes are also missing inside the new drone. These enabled the drone to fly independently to get various simple shots without the pilot needing to control the entire flight. You can still get the same types of shots with the Mini 3, but you need to do them manually.

That said, these extra features might not make or break the drone flying experience for most people. However, one small feature that’s not in the Mini 3 breaks my heart: 4k/60fps. For some reason, the Mini 3 tops out at 4K/30fps. This is fine for most circumstances, but being able to slow things down can help a shot look a lot more cinematic. Not having that option at 4K seems like a strange move.

Other camera software missing in the Mini 3 is the ability to shoot in D-Cinelike. I still find the standard clips nice enough to colour grade with, but having access to fewer colour profiles does make this drone less versatile for real video work since it’s much harder to match other cameras.

The final difference that got me was the lack of internal storage. The Mini 3 Pro features 1.3GB, which isn’t much, but it’s enough to get you a minute or so of 4K footage. As someone who forgets SD cards often, the fact that the new Mini 3 has no internal storage has screwed me over more than once. This sounds small, but drone flying often requires driving or hiking to semi-remote places. and getting somewhere hours away from home without a fast-enough MicroSD card to record with can be devastating.

Fortnite‘s long-awaited Chapter 4 is out now.

The chapter introduces new ways to get around the map, like riding on a dirt bike, rolling within a snowball or launching yourself with a Shockwave Hammer. There are several new locations around the map, including Frenzy Fields, The Citadel, Brutal Bastion, Anvil Square, and more, while new weapons like the Ex-Caliber rifle, Thunder shotgun, Maven auto shotgun, Red Eye assault rifle and more are here to refresh the combat feel in the game.

Despite all the in-game changes and improvements, one of the more important updates is an under-the-hood one. Fortnite now runs on Unreal Engine 5.1, which means the game can take advantage of several fancy new, innovative visual features that would make the cartoon-ish game more lifelike.

It’s worth noting that the following visual improvements brought about by Unreal Engine 5.1 are available on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, high-end PCs and cloud gaming.

“Unreal Engine 5 ushers in a generational leap in visual fidelity, bringing an unprecedented level of detail to game worlds like the Battle Royale Island,” reads Epic Games’ blog post about the updates. “Next-gen Unreal Engine 5 features such as Nanite, Lumen, Virtual Shadow Maps, and Temporal Super Resolution are now available in Fortnite Battle Royale on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and cloud gaming!”

What this means is that with features like ‘Nanite,’ each brick, stone, wood planks and other in-game architecture will be more detailed, while ‘Lumen’ would allow for “high-quality ray traced reflections on glossy materials and water.”

Similarly, with ‘Virtual Shadow Maps,’ each brick, leaf, and modeled detail will cast a shadow, while things like hats and other small details on characters will also cast shadows. Temporal Super Resolution (TSR) would allow for higher-quality graphics and visuals to be rendered when playing the title at a high framerate.

Check out the minimum and recommended PC specs to run the visual features here. Learn more about Fortnite Chapter 4 and the visual upgrades it brings along here.

Image credit: Epic Games

Source: Epic Games