Stories by Austin Blake

Yesterday, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features on AirPods Pro 2 expanded to new countries, but still not Canada. Apple users in Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, and more now have the ability to use their AirPods Pro 2 as hearing aids, plus sleep apnea notifications on Apple Watch. Some...

OpenTable has launched a new AI assistant called Concierge, aimed at making it easier for diners to find restaurant details without digging through multiple websites or making calls. The tool is embedded within restaurant profiles on OpenTable and can answer common questions—such as what dishes suit dietary restrictions, whether a restaurant is casual or upscale,...

Canada’s telecom regulator is asking for public input on how emergency alerts are shared across the country. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) launched a consultation today to review how alerts are delivered during events like severe weather or other safety threats. Our National Public Alerting System (NPAS) is also known as Alert Ready,...

Wireless plans from Rogers, Telus and Bell have been tweaked after the end of Canada Day promos. Telus today made some changes to its plans, specifically increasing the price of its 60GB plan while also increasing data for its most expensive plan. Check out the current Telus plans below for bring your own device and...

SpaceX’s Starlink now has more than 500,000 users across Canada, and for some, the service is proving essential in remote areas where traditional internet access doesn’t exist (via Tesla North). One of those users is Syola Ikkidluak, a dog sledder and hunter from Iglulik, Nunavut. She relies on Starlink to stay in touch with her...

TikTok CEO Shou Chew is urging the federal government to reverse its decision to shut down TikTok’s Canadian operations, warning of serious consequences for local jobs, creators, and investment. Ottawa wants offices shut down, but will let the app stay operating in Canada. In a letter sent to Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, dated July 2,...

SaskTel is once again extending support for residents forced to evacuate due to wildfires in northern Saskatchewan. The crown corporation announced today, July 14, that it will continue to waive wireless data overage charges and credit home services—including SaskTel Internet, maxTV Stream, and Home Phone—for customers in impacted communities. The relief applies to residents who...

We’re just months away from Apple’s expected September iPhone reveal, and for this year’s iPhone 17 series, we may have a look at what colours to expect, based on leaks from the supply chain. Leaker Sonny Dickson today shared images of the camera rings that surround the iPhone 17 camera, and they allegedly show the...

Rogers is replacing hundreds of its Canadian customer service agents with AI chatbots, leading to mass layoffs and growing backlash from former employees who say they were used to train the very tech that took their jobs. The telecom giant confirmed to The Globe and Mail that it has ended its contract with Foundever, a...

Tesla followed the rules when it filed nearly 8,600 electric vehicle rebate claims just before the federal government ended its iZEV program in January, according to Transport Canada. A spokesperson for Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland told The Canadian Press that the automaker’s submissions “were determined to legitimately represent cars sold before January 12.” The same...

Telus recently introduced a compact streaming box last month called the TV Mini, offering customers a simple way to access their streaming subscriptions and Telus content in one place. The Telus TV Mini is priced at $72 outright or can be financed at $2 per month over 36 months through a Telus Easy Payment plan....

Telus-owned Public Mobile is back at it again, tweaking its 5G Canada-US-Mexico plans with more data. Earlier this week, Public Mobile revamped its plans list ahead of the fall, trimming its 5G offerings to just a $40/20GB and $50/30GB. Today, the company added data bonuses to these two 5G plans. Check them out below: $40/60GB...