Stories by Austin Blake

Google is expanding its artificial intelligence tools by letting you link third-party applications right into your search results. The update is starting to roll out to users in the U.S. this week. The feature will likely expand beyond the U.S. to Canada but for now its launch is limited. By using AI Mode in Google...

Artificial intelligence is starting to do more than just answer questions. These days, AI agents can handle chores for you like shopping online or updating your accounts. The catch has always been security, because handing your login details over to a machine is a risky move. Now, Toronto-based 1Password has built a way around that...

Apple has officially secured approval to bring its new artificial intelligence features to iPhones in China. The country's cyberspace regulator gave Apple Intelligence the green light on Wednesday, clearing a major hurdle for the company. China requires all tech companies to register their artificial intelligence models with the government before offering them to the public....

Rogers-owned Chatr has just made some major changes to its top-end prepaid plans, reducing data by quite a bit. The changes come after we recapped prepaid plans in Canada yesterday for July. Here are changes made today by Chatr on its website we spotted: $19/500MB $21/1GB $25/5GB $30/15GB (was $29/35GB) $35/30GB (was $34/80GB) $100/year: 400...

Bell has finished constructing its first direct-to-device satellite ground station in Québec. This new facility is a big step to providing mobile coverage to Canadians in areas well beyond the reach of traditional cell towers. The ground station is designed to connect with AST SpaceMobile’s satellite constellation. Once the system is fully operational, it will...

We're well into July so let's take a look at prepaid plans from the Big 3, compared to prices in June. Public Mobile (Telus), Lucky Mobile (Bell), Chatr (Rogers) and Fizz (Quebecor) have all made changes to their prepaid plans. Here are the changes to prepaid plans in Canada for July 2026: Public Mobile $35/50GB...

Bell has swept up 10 Speedtest Awards in the latest round of independent testing from Ookla, with the results covering both internet and wireless performance, released today. On the internet side, Bell took Best Internet, Fastest Internet, Top-Rated Internet, and Best ISP Gaming Experience. On wireless, it grabbed Fastest 5G Network, Best 5G Network, Fastest...

Spotify is testing a new way for subscribers to interact with their music library by introducing a conversational voice and text assistant. The feature, called Talk to Spotify, is rolling out in a beta phase to select markets right now. The streaming giant announced the update on Tuesday, explaining that eligible users can now have...

The smartphone market is having a rough time due to high prices, down to its lowest levels since 2013, but Apple is somehow doing fine. A new preliminary report from Counterpoint Research says global smartphone shipments fell 11% in the second quarter of 2026, the worst Q2 since 2013. This was due to the shortage...

Waze is pushing out a batch of updates that lean on Google's Gemini AI to make navigation feel more like a conversation and less like tapping through menus. The Google-owned app announced the changes today, and they cover everything from motorcycle routing to a quieter voice option. Riding a motorcycle isn't the same as driving...

Amazon Prime members in Canada can now add last-minute items to an order that is already on its way. The retail giant has officially launched a new feature called Add to Delivery, designed to save shoppers from placing multiple orders when they forget a staple item. You may have seen this implemented over the past...

Telus's plans for two AI data centres in Vancouver could hit a wall, with a city councillor pushing to pause them until the city sorts out some actual rules. OneCity Vancouver Councillor Lucy Maloney is bringing a motion to council on July 15 called "Addressing the Risks of Digital Infrastructure," according to CTV News. If...