Stories by Austin Blake

The CBC is shutting down its subscription-based Documentary Channel on August 31 and replacing it with a free ad-supported streaming channel launching this fall, backed by a $7 million funding increase for Canadian documentaries. The national broadcaster framed the move as a modernization push, pointing to declining cable subscribers and shifting viewing habits as the...

Bell reported its first quarter results for 2026 on Thursday, posting revenue growth alongside a modest dip in net earnings as the company pushes deeper into 5G and artificial intelligence. Total revenue rose 4% to just over $6.1 billion, while net earnings slipped 2.3% to $667 million, weighed down by higher taxes and infrastructure costs....

The CRTC is calling out Bell over a new $40 fee the company has been charging customers who buy a phone through a wireless plan. After removing the $80 connection fee for Bell and Virgin Plus this week, a new $40 device fee was added for customers who buy a phone from the companies. In...

Bell's parent company BCE has fired a group of employees caught faking their office attendance records in what the company is calling a "swipe and go" scheme. The details are pretty brazen. Workers would badge into the office and walk straight back out, logging their presence without actually showing up for work. One employee reportedly...

OpenAI has made significant changes to how it handles personal data in Canada after a joint investigation by federal and provincial privacy regulators found that the original launch of ChatGPT broke several privacy laws. The probe involved watchdogs from Ottawa, Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta. They found that OpenAI was collecting more personal information than...

The push to ban children from social media is gaining momentum in Canada. Culture Minister Marc Miller and Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew both want a minimum age of 16, and now some are asking whether AI chatbots should be next. Technology law expert and University of Ottawa professor Michael Geist thinks that would be a...

We're about one week into May, so let's check in on wireless plan pricing from Rogers, Telus, Bell, and Freedom Mobile compares to last month. It's clear right now is not the best time to jump on a new cellphone plan. Rogers $60/60GB (was 100GB) $65/100GB (was $70/175GB) — now includes Canada-US-Mexico (was Canada-US only)...

Telus is using artificial intelligence to alter the accents of its call centre agents in real time through its subsidiary Telus Digital, and the backlash has been swift. Labour advocates are calling the practice deceptive, and the federal government is being urged to require disclosure whenever the technology is used. Rogers and Bell, meanwhile, say...

Moving money in Canada is about to get a lot more modern. Visa Canada and Wealthsimple are piloting a new payments system that uses stablecoins to settle transactions, a first for the Canadian market. Under the program, Wealthsimple can use USD Coin (USDC) to settle certain financial obligations with Visa, using blockchain to move funds...

Canadians should prepare for their phones to chime and televisions to broadcast a test signal tomorrow nationwide. Alert Ready, the national emergency alert system managed by Pelmorex (they own The Weather Network), has scheduled a test for Wednesday, May 6, 2026. The coordinated event is designed to ensure the system works effectively during real life-threatening...

Google has just announced that The Android Show, I/O Edition, coming next week. This virtual event is set for May 12 at 10am PT/1pm ET and will showcase why "this is one of the biggest years for Android yet," according to a spokesperson to iPhone in Canada in an email. The Android Show will hit...

Thousands of residents across northwest B.C. are currently without phone or internet service after a failed attempt to steal copper cables cut off crucial Telus fibre lines. The outage began around 3 a.m. Monday near Sheraton, B.C., roughly 20 kilometres east of Burns Lake. According to Telus, vandals targeting copper cables accidentally cut through the...