Here are a few of the stories I’ve found interesting over the past several days. I talked specifically about this week’s Apple announcements previously, so here is where I’ll talk about everything non Apple. We have a new phone from Google, new IPTV options in Canada, and a Fisher Price phone that actually works, among others.
Google Announces Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro
Google has finally detailed its newest phones, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. There wasn’t much new to discover today, as the company had shown off the phone to the public already, and almost all of the details leaked. But here we are.
The Pixel 6 is a 6.4” phone with a 1080p+ display at 90Hz. It features a 50 megapixel main camera and an ultrawide camera. The Pixel 6 pro ups that to a 6.7” 120Hz display, and adds in a 48 megapixel 4x telephoto lens.
The phones both run Google’s Tensor System on a Chip. The Tensor SoC is the first custom built processor from Google, and Google is touting Tensor’s AI and photography capabilities. The company is really pushing the software experience that their implementation of Android 12 brings.
Speaking of Android 12, the Pixel 6 will be the first phone to launch with Android 12 out of the box, though it is rolling out to eligible Pixel phones today. Google’s version of Android 12 features a “Material You” design language with a colourful but muted palette that can adjust system icon colours based on your wallpaper. Google has taken to creating a more “Google-y” version of Android, and The Pixel 6 really feels like a departure from what we used to think of as “normal” Android. Other Android 12 features include more security and privacy settings like a privacy dashboard and more control over what apps have access to the camera, microphone, and location settings. Google is promising 3 Android updates for the Pixel 6, and two additional years of security updates, totaling 5 years of support.
The real star of the show really is the camera systems. The Pixel line has been highly regarded in terms of camera capability, but Google had started resting on its laurels. The Pixel 5 had the same camera hardware that 2017’s Pixel 2 had, and while camera quality can improve with software enhancements, the Pixel cameras were really no better than any other high end phone. Google is trying to fix that with new camera sensors and new software enhancements with the Pixel 6, and spent much of their presentation talking about photography. We will have to wait for reviews to see how well it does.
The biggest surprise of the unveiling was the price. The Pixel 6 starts at $900 for 128GB of storage in Canada, and the Pixel 6 Pro starts at $1180 also for 128GB of storage. That pricing is very aggressive for a high end phone, wth the Pixel 6 is about $200 less than comparable smartphones from Apple and Samsung. The Pixel 6 specifically offers tremendous value, assuming the camera and performance are as good as Google states. We wait for reviews.
Teksavvy Launches IPTV Service For Customers in All Regions
Teksavvy, one of the more well known smaller internet providers in Canada, began offering TV service in 2019 in a couple Ontario locations, and expanded that to a few more locations in Ontario and Quebec through 2020. Now, custoemrs in “select regions” in other areas that Teksavvy operates, like Alberta, BC, and New Brunswick, can subscribe to a TV service from Teksavvy. It starts at $20 for a basic service, with the option to add channels for additional costs. For example, a sports pack that includes Sportsnet and TSN is an additional $20/month. This is not out of line with pricing from Shaw, Telus, Bell or Rogers, but offers more flexibility, as well as allowing someone who might want TV the option to have Teksavvy for Internet.
Teksavvy will rent customers a set top box for $5/month, but users can also use Amazon’s FireTV stick, an Apple TV, or Google Chromecast for TV access, as well as streaming straight to Android or iOS devices. There are other add-ons, like a DVR with 50 hours of recording space for $10/month.
https://mobilesyrup.com/2021/10/19/teksavvy-tv-is-now-available-across-canada/
Activision Blizzard Says 20 Employees Have Been Terminated During Harassment and Discrimination Investigations
This is a story that we’ve been following for several months now, with several months or years to go still. But Activision Blizzard, facing lawsuits and police investigations has been trying to show that it takes these allegations seriously and now says it has let go 20 employees after investiations. It won’t be enough to stave off the lawsuits, but it is good to see the company starting to take this seriously, at least on the surface.
Blame the Humidity on Boeing Starliner’s Failure to Launch
Boeing’s Starliner had its most recent launch attempt scrubbed after several valves on the spacecraft got stuck during pre-flight checks. That setback has pushed the second test mission for the vehicle to sometime in the first half of 2022 at the earliest. Boeing and NASA now believe that high humidity in Florida reacted with fuel in the spacecraft which caused corrosion, damaging the valves. Boing says the valves were designed to withstand the Florida humidity… but obviously they didn’t. This is the latest setback for the much delayed Boeing vehicle, which launched its first test mission, unsuccessfully, in 2019. The delays have become so great that NASA is now looking to purchase additional SpaceX Crew Dragon flights to send astronauts to the International Space Station
You’ll Soon Be Able To Buy a Fisher Price Chatter Telephone That Actually Makes Phone Calls
So, everyone knows the Fisher Price toy phone that everyone had as a child, right? Well, Fisher Price is launching a new model of the Chatter Telephone, as it’s called… that will actually make phone calls. It launches December 1st. Who needs a folding phone, a Pixel 6 Pro, or an iPhone 13 when we can have a Chatter Telephone?
https://mobilesyrup.com/2021/10/19/best-buy-is-selling-an-80-fisher-price-phone-that-actually-works/
Instagram Will Finally Let You Post From the Web
Social Media Managers rejoice! After years of pleading with Instagram to let users post photos from a desktop web browser, the Facebook owned company is finally relenting. As of October 21st, users will be able to post photos and short videos of up to 60 seconds straight from the web, negating the unnecessary step of needing to get a photo onto a phone to post.
This is a great day for Social Media People around the world. And that’s not hyperbole.
https://www.engadget.com/instagram-desktop-web-post-creation-and-collabs-150032945.html