Tech News Roundup For March 24, 2022
The reverse chronological feed is back in Instagram! The CRTC has approved the Rogers purchase of Shaw. Those and a few more of the tech stories I’ve found interesting over the last couple days.
CRTC Gives Conditional Approval of Rogers’ Purchase of Shaw
The CRTC has approved the purchase of Shaw by Rogers Communications. The regulatory body has attached several conditions to the deal, and will require Rogers to regularly report on meeting those conditions.
This does not mean the sale is done. The CRTC is just one of several bodies that must approve the sale, and the Government of Canada has already said it will not approve the sale unless it includes the sale of Freedom Mobile to a 3rd party.
https://mobilesyrup.com/2022/03/24/crtc-approves-rogers-shaw-merger/
$5 Billion EV Battery Plant Coming to Canada
LT and Stellantis (the owner of Chrysler, Jeep, and Chevrolet among others) have announced a $5 Billion facility in Windsor that will produce batteries for Stellantis Electric Vehicles. Capacity to build enough batteries to satisfy demand for electric vehicles is quickly becoming one of the big bottleneck towards the growth of those vehicles, and new “giga factories” as they’re dubbed are being announced at a rapid pace to try to meet anticipated demand.
https://mobilesyrup.com/2022/03/23/ev-battery-manufacturing-plant-coming-to-windsor/
Telus using 5G to bring Broadband Internet Access to Rural Alberta and BC
One of the key features touted of 5G wireless technology is that it is finally fast enough and has enough capacity to serve as a reliable replacement for traditional cable or DSL internet. In places without significant infrastructure for high speed internet, 5G may be a game changer. Telus is the first provider to announce plans to offer 5G internet service, aiming to bring it parts of rural Alberta and BC by the end of 2022. The service will use a base station in the home that behaves like a wired cable or DSL modem, and will offer speeds of up to 100mbps. Telus is not saying what the data caps will be on these services. A low data cap close to what users are forced to endure with cell phone plans could make this a non starter. We wait.
Google Testing 3rd Party Payments in Google Play
Google is going to begin testing allowing 3rd parties to use their own payment platforms inside of Google Play. The test will begin with Spotify, where the service will be allowed to process payments itself and avoid Google’s Play Store fees. Google has already developed the technology to do this because of a law in South Korea that requires Google and Apple to accept payments via 3rd parties in that country.
This could have a seismic impact on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. It isn’t clear if this will be offered to every app and service, but the door opening just a crack could have a big impact.
https://www.engadget.com/google-spotify-play-store-billing-pilot-212245796.html
Instagram Brings Back Reverse Chronological Feed
The algorithms that run social media services and decide what users see have a significant impact on how users use those services, and the evidence is mounting that it contributes to the polarization and divisiveness we see in the world today. Both Twitter and Facebook do offer options to see posts in chronological order instead of the curated feed, through Facebook’s especially is difficult to find. But Instagram has not offered users that choice since 2017. That changes this week, with the reverse chronolocal feed coming back to Instagram. It isn’t the default feed, and there is no way to make it open every time you open the app, but at least it is there.
https://thenextweb.com/news/instagram-chronological-again-at-last
There is Another Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Activision Blizzard
I don’t have a ton to say about this, but another sexual harassment lawsuit has been filed against Activision Blizzard. The snowball rolling down the hill is getting quite large.