Boxing Week is here and the offers have arrived! To help beat the post-Christmas blues, The Mobile Shop™ is running epic Boxing Week offers right into the new year on the latest phones, plans, and mobile tech accessories. From now until January 3, you can earn up to 300,000 PC Optimum™ points on select phones and plans – that’s an extra $300 in PC Optimum™ points that you can use towards your next grocery bill.

Whether you are looking to upgrade your phone, or even switch plans, The Mobile Shop™ is here to help. They’ve got a huge selection of zero-dollar down devices available across all the nation’s leading providers like Bell, Rogers, Fido, and Telus. 

HOT Boxing Week Offers: 

iPhone 14 (128GB and 256GB) – starting at $0 on a 2-year term with select carriers
iPhone 12 (64GB) – starting at $0 on a 2-year term with select carriers
Samsung Galaxy S22 (128GB and 256GB) – starting at $0 on a 2-year term with select carriers
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE (128GB) – starting at $0 on a 2-year term with select carriers
Samsung Galaxy A53 (128GB) – starting at $0 on a 2-year term with select carriers: 
Google Pixel 7 (128GB) – starting at $0 on a 2-year term with select carriers

As your one-stop shop for phones and plans this Boxing Week, be sure to head to one of the 200 The Mobile Shop™ locations across Canada before January 3 to take advantage of the exciting offers! 

Check out more details on the Boxing Day deals here, find the closest store to you and follow The Mobile Shop™ on Instagram and Facebook for more information.

Image credit: The Mobile Shop

The story is sponsored by The Mobile Shop.

MobileSyrup publishes sponsored posts. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content.

Bell is sending out a special Boxing Week offer to some former customers offering a $30/mo discount on its ‘Unlimited Essential’ plan, making it $55/mo for 20GB of data.

Moreover, the email notes the offer can be extended to up to two family members, meaning you get sign three people up total with 20GB of shareable data each. The plan includes:

20GB of shareable 5G data with speeds up to 250Mbps
Unlimited data at throttled speeds of up to 512Kbps beyond the 20GB cap
Unlimited Canada-wide calling, texting, picture, and video messaging

Overall, it’s not a bad deal if you can get it. Former Bell customers should keep an eye out for an email like this from Bell. For what it’s worth though, I’m sticking with my Black Friday $45/50GB offer since it’s cheaper and I get more data per month (the only thing I really lose out on is 5G but, having had Bell 5G before, it’s a blessing not to have it).

For all of the carrier Boxing Day/Week deals in Canada, follow this link.

Twitter’s Blue subscription service got some new features heading into the holidays. Per an update to the list of features on the Blue about page, the service now gives subscribers “prioritized rankings in conversations” and the ability to upload hour-long videos.

Twitter owner Elon Musk has long promised these features, with priority in replies dating back to November. Musk also promised priority in search and mentions, but it appears Twitter still needs to add that (at least, it doesn’t mention it on the Blue page).

It’s not entirely clear how the prioritization feature works. The Verge suggests Twitter will now factor in whether an account subscribes to Blue when ordering replies to a tweet. Twitter previously said the feature was intended to help “lower the visibility of scams, spam and bots.”

Of course, that doesn’t consider that scammers, spammers, and other bad actors can now pay for Blue to boost the visibility of their replies.

As for the video features, Blue subscribers can now upload videos up to 60 minutes long with up to a 2GB file size and 1080p resolution. However, the feature is only available via the web. Moreover, a Twitter support page warns that the platform may modify “the resolution and bitrate of the original video while streaming based on the speed and stability of the viewer’s internet connection.”

The changes come after Twitter added view counts to tweets.

After the relaunch, Twitter Blue’s price increased to $10/mo for Canadians who subscribe through the website and $15/mo for Canadians who subscribe through iOS. Learn more here.

Source: Twitter Via: The Verge

After a flamethrower and burnt hair cologne, the next product to be sold by an Elon Musk-owned company isn’t that out of the ordinary.

Elon Musk’s Tesla has announced a new ‘Tesla Wireless Charging Platform’ that is reportedly “inspired by the angular design and metallic styling of Cybertruck.”

The charging pad sports the Tesla logo on the front, offers a 65W power adapter and also features a magnetic detachable stand. The pad is made of aluminum, while the part where you keep your devices is lined with premium alcantara, likely to prevent scratches.

It can charge three devices at once at 15W charging speeds. According to Tesla’s website, the pad also features ‘FreePower technology,’ which means it can charge Qi-capable devices placed anywhere on its surface without a need for precise alignment.

Orders for the wireless charging pad are already live for $300 USD (roughly $409), though it doesn’t start shipping until February 2023. Additionally, the charging pad seems to be limited to the U.S. Tesla store, and it isn’t listed in the Canadian store.

It’s worth noting that $409 CAD for a three-device wireless charger is an exorbitant amount to pay. Some of the best three-device wireless chargers from the likes of Belkin and  Anker and others cost less than $150.

Image credit: Tesla

Source: Tesla Via: AndroidPolice

Netflix wants to help its viewers achieve their (sometimes short-lived) New Year fitness goals by offering workouts on the platform.

The streaming platform is partnering with Nike Training Club to share 30 hours of exercise sessions starting December 30th. The Nike Training Club is the “ultimate training partner” and features workouts from certified trainers, Netflix wrote in a blog post.

Programming will come in two different batches. The first batch will feature the following:

Kickstart Fitness with the Basics (13 episodes)
Two Weeks to a Stronger Core (7 episodes)
Fall in Love with Vinyasa Yoga (6 episodes)
HIT & Strength with Tara (14 episodes)
Feel-Good Fitness (6 episodes)

The second batch will come in the new year.

Netflix will offer the programs in various languages and on all of its plans. Workouts will focus on multiple fitness levels and interests. Netflix users can search “Nike” on the app to access the workouts.

Fitness content is the latest area Netflix has branched out to. The streaming platform also offers games that are included with the Netflix membership.

Image credit: Nike

Source: Netflix Via: TechCrunch

A new attack vector against Exchange and more unprotected data found on AWS S3 buckets.

Welcome to Cyber Security Today. It’s Friday, December 23rd, 2022. I’m Howard Solomon, contributing reporter on cybersecurity for ITWorldCanada.com.

The Play ransomware gang has apparently found a new vulnerability to exploit on Microsoft Exchange servers. According to researchers at CrowdStrike, the attackers are going through Outlook Web Access — also known as OWA — to get at Power Shell’s remote access service. This gets around Microsoft’s recent mitigations for the ProxyNotShell vulnerability. To defend against this suspected new attack CrowdStrike says Exchange administrators should install the latest patches on their servers. They should also follow Microsoft’s recommendations to disable remote PowerShell for non-administrative users. And they should monitor servers for signs of exploitation in IIS and RemotePowerShell logs.

Separately, administrators whose organizations use the cloud-based Exchange Online service were given a final warning this week that Microsoft is turning off basic authentication in January. They need to switch to Exchange Online’s modern authentication service. Any user trying to connect through basic auth in January will get an error message. The reason for killing basic authentication is it’s susceptible to password spray attacks. Microsoft has been warning about this coming change for some time. Administrators should have switched to Microsoft’s modern auth by now.

Still dealing with Exchange, a Swiss-based cybersecurity firm called Prodaft put out a background report on a financially-motivated ransomware group researchers call FIN7. It often takes advantage of Exchange vulnerabilities. Since 2021 it has been using an automated attack system to find and run exploits on Exchange servers. Other tactics include buying stolen authentication for Windows remote desktop access deployments and VPNs. This particular group goes after high-revenue organizations.

The personal information of over 100,000 students who used publisher McGraw Hill’s online education platform could have been copied by anyone over the summer. According to researchers at vpnMentor, the data was stored in two misconfigured Amazon Web Services buckets. This is just the latest in a series of discoveries of poorly-protected databases left open on the internet. Files included names, email addresses and grades of users from the University of Toronto, McGill University, UCLA, the University of Michigan and others institutions. Also on the servers was source code belonging to the publisher. The thing is, McGraw Hill took a long time to respond to the discovery. vpnMentor says it first left a message with the company on June 13th. After three more unanswered messages the researchers left warnings with the U.S. Computer Emergency Response Team and Amazon, hoping they would contact the publisher. The data on the buckets were finally removed over a month later, on July 20th. Organizations need to have communication processes to respond to complaints like this. Otherwise there will be new stories that make it look like the organization isn’t organized.

Finally, another warning has gone out for Android users to be careful of the apps the download. Researchers at Group-IB have discovered the return of a trojan malware called Godfather that steals the passwords of users who try to log into banks in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France, Germany and other countries. It’s back after disappearing in June. Victims don’t realize they’re giving away their credentials because they’re logging into a fake screen superimposed over the bank’s real page. Crooks often distribute mobile malware through utility apps such as currency converters, and, in this case, a fake version of Google Protect.

Later today the Week in Review edition will be out. Guest commentator Terry Cutler of Cyology Labs will be here to comment on vulnerabilities in Samba, the seizure of DDoS attack sites and more.

Follow Cyber Security Today on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or add us to your Flash Briefing on your smart speaker.

The post Cyber Security Today, Dec. 23, 2022 – A new attack vector against Exchange and more unprotected data found on AWS S3 buckets first appeared on IT World Canada.

It looks like Telus flanker brand Koodo is trying to get in on those sweet, sweet home internet deals thanks to a partnership with Altima Telecom. Per emails sent to Koodo customers, Koodo and Altima are offering a discount on the latter’s ‘Unlimited Internet 100’ plan.

MobileSyrup gaming editor Brad Shankar received one such email, but so did some people on RedFlagDeals (RFD). The offer gives customers access to 100Mbps home internet with unlimited use for $44/mo for 24 months (savings of $6/mo, or $144 over two years).

The offer is available until February 15th and comes with free activation and a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. However, it’s worth noting the service may not be available in your area — for example, my address in Whitby, Ontario, couldn’t get the plan.

The Koodo x Altima deal appears to be an attempt for Koodo to match internet offers from the likes of Fido and Virgin Plus. Both providers have a wireless and wireline business offering lower-cost home internet. Fido and Virgin both have $45/mo 100Mbps plans, along with other deals. Moreover, both providers currently have their home internet plan on sale for 50 percent off for 12 months — typically, it costs $90/mo for 100Mbps.

If the Altima internet deal is available in your area, I’d argue it’s a better option than Fido and Virgin. The discount lasts longer and when it does end, your bill will only go up by $6/mo instead of $45/mo.

You can check out the deal here.

There are still plenty of deals to be had that can be delivered before December 25th. Case in point the Amazon Fire TV Sticks and Echo Show 5 and Echo Show 8. These both are discounted to the tune of 45 percent off.

Check out the deals below:

Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen, 2021 release) for $54.99 (save 45%)
Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen, 2021 release) for $99.99 (save 41%)
Fire TV Stick 4K Max streaming device for $54.99 (save 27%)
Fire TV Stick Lite with Alexa Voice Remote Lite (no TV controls) for $29.99 (save 40%)
Fire TV Stick 4K streaming device with Alexa Voice Remote (includes TV controls) for $49.99 (save 29%)
Fire TV Stick Lite with latest Alexa Voice Remote Lite (no TV controls) for $29.99 (save 40%)
Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote (includes TV controls) for $39.99 (Save 33%)

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

Source: Amazon Canada

Steam has kicked off its big 2022 Winter Sale, offering discounts on all kinds of games.

See below for a list of some of the deals. Note that some of these are part of the main Winter Sale, which runs from December 22nd to January 5th, while others may have slightly different durations.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II — $76.49 (regularly $89.99)
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade — $53.28 (regularly $93.49)
God of War — $35.99 (regularly $59.99)
Inscryption — $13.67 (regularly $22.79)
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy — $27.99 (regularly $79.99)
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales — $44.99 (regularly $59.99)
Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered — $52.49 (regularly $69.99)
Persona 5 Royal — $55.99 (regularly $79.99)
Sackboy: A Big Adventure — $46.89 (regularly $69.99)
Triangle Strategy — $47.99 (regularly $79.99)
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection — $41.99 (regularly $59.99)

The full list of deals can be found here.

Image credit: PlayStation/Marvel

FBI warns users of cyber criminals impersonating brands using search engine ads, Tesla offers $7500 discount on some cars and a Robocall firm faces a $300 million penalty.

 

That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Welcome to Hashtag Trending. It’s Friday, December 23rd, and I am your host, Samira Balsara.

The FBI is warning the public that cyber criminals are using search engine advertisement services to impersonate brands and redirect users to malicious websites that host ransomware and steal login credentials and financial information. Cyber criminals purchase ads that appear within web search results, using a domain similar to an actual business. These ads link to a webpage identical to the impersonated business and contains links to download softwares that is actually malware. The download page looks legitimate and the download itself is named after the program the user intended to download. These cyber attack methods have also been used to impersonate websites involving finances, especially crypto exchange platforms. The FBI recommends users to verify the URL to ensure the site is authentic before clicking, type the business url directly into the search engine rather than looking up the business and install an ad blocking extension. The FBI also recommends businesses to warn consumers when they notice similar domains as theirs, educate users on spoofed programs and how to find the correct URL of softwares they wish to install.

Source: FBI

Tesla is offering $7500 credit and 10 000 miles of free supercharging on a new Model 3 and Model Y cars in the US, Mashable reported. The car has to be delivered between Dec 21 and 31 2022 which means that the company is trying to boost sales before the end of the quarter. The company is also offering a $5,000 credit for Model 3 and Model Y cars in Canada, and a 6000 yuan ($860) discount on some models in China. The limitation on US Federal tax credit that was imposed on Tesla due to the company shipping more than 200,000 cars in the year, will also be removed on Jan 1st, 2023. Tesla was already offering a discount of $3750 on some cars earlier this month. The fact that the discount’s been doubled suggests that Tesla is not happy with demand for its cars in this holiday quarter.

Source: Mashable

The FCC has slapped a robocall company with a $300 million fine, claiming that the firm which is the largest it ever investigated, made over 5 billion calls in three months, enough to have called each person in the United States 15 times, Engadget reported. In July of this year, the FCC ordered its first ever “K4 Notice” and “N2 Order”, directing all US telephone providers to stop carrying traffic related to car warranty scam calls, which resulted in a 99 per cent drop in the volume of such calls, since June. The FCC proposed its largest fine ever because it found the robocallers to have committed “egregious violations”, including incessant calls, harassment, or using dirty tricks like calling health care workers from spoofed hospital numbers. The firm also violated multiple FCC rules, like failing to identify the caller at the start of a message. 

Source: Engadget

Philadelphians earned a free to use, old-fashioned public payphone at a bookstore as part of engineers Mike Dank and Naveen Albert’s PhilTel project, launched to resist big tech and spearhead the restoration of the public communications infrastructure, TechXplore reported. The founders said that efforts to restore the public phone also represents resistance to society’s fast and thoughtless adoption of technology, to the detriment of individual choices and the environment. Dank said in an interview that the first PhilTel telephone is a chance to show that PhilTel can successfully install a phone and keep the hardware that connects the phone to the internet working.

Source: TechXplore

That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Hashtag Trending is a part of the ITWC Podcast network. Add us to your Alexa Flash briefings or your Google Home daily briefing. Make sure to sign up for our Daily IT Wire newsletter to get all the news that matters directly in your inbox every day. Also, catch the next episode of Hashtag Tendances, our weekly Hashtag Trending episode in French, which drops every Thursday morning. If you have a suggestion or a tip, drop us a line in the comments or via email. Thank you for listening, and we hope you have a happy holiday season. I’m Samira Balsara.

The post Hashtag Trending Dec 23 – Cyber criminals impersonating brands using search engine ads; Tesla offers $7500 discount; Robocall company faces $300 million penalty first appeared on IT World Canada.