Tech

Canadians dodged disappointment with Nothing Phone (1) – MobileSyrup

Published

2 years ago

July 1, 2022

In keeping with the trend of making much ado about Nothing, it seems pertinent to point out that Canadian smartphone fans may have dodged disappointment thanks to Nothing not releasing its upcoming Phone (1) here.

That’s not to say Canadians would be better served by less choice when it comes to smartphones. I’d argue more choice is better, especially in an era where smartphone companies are increasingly disappearing. LG is gone, HTC emerges once every few years with a new ~~scam~~ crypto phone, and Motorola only seems to launch a few budget or mid-range options each year in Canada.

Until Nothing revealed its first new smartphone, the Phone (1), wouldn’t come to Canada, I was looking forward to its arrival. Admittedly, I probably got a little lost in the hype. The phone is exciting — it features a unique look, and it’s new and flashy.

But as we’ve learned more about the Nothing Phone (1), I’ve found myself thinking that it’s maybe a good thing the first iteration will skip Canada.

Flagship hype for a stylish mid-ranger

Image credit: MKBHD

Most recently, Nothing confirmed that the Phone (1) runs a “custom-tuned” Snapdragon 778G+ chip. As previously reported, the 778G+ is really just a 778G with wireless charging capabilities. The thing is, the 778G (and by extension the 778G+) is a mid-range chip. There’s nothing wrong with mid-range chips, but Nothing’s hype machine has painted the Phone (1) as a flagship. People coming to the Phone (1) with that expectation might find themselves disappointed.

The thing is, Nothing’s Phone (1) will need to contend with some of the biggest players in the market to make any headway. It’s a big challenge, and a market like Canada’s makes it even harder to overcome.

Canada’s smartphone market isn’t big, at least compared to some other countries. As per StatsCan, about 85 percent of Canadians had a smartphone for personal use in 2020. Recent population estimates (also from StatsCan) put Canada at about 38.6 million, meaning roughly 32.8 million Canadians have smartphones. Emphasis on the ‘roughly,’ since the 85 percent comes from 2020 and numbers have likely shifted since then. Coupled with 2019 data that suggests Canada has a nearly equal split between Android and iOS use (46 to 53 percent, respectively, but I’m rounding here to make the math a bit easier) and you’ve got maybe 16.4 million potential customers for the Phone (1).

And since I can already hear the furious typing coming from the comments section, I want to acknowledge that this is just quick, back-of-the-napkin math. It’s not about the numbers so much as that Canada is a small market in the grand scheme of things (Apple and Samsung sold an estimated 239 million and 272 million smartphones, respectively, in 2021).

Obviously, Nothing isn’t going to move that many Phone (1) units, nor should anyone expect it to with its first-ever phone. Instead, if Nothing launched Phone (1) in Canada, it’d be signing up to fight for a fraction of an already small market, and it’d be doing so with virtually no backup (read: carriers).

We’ve been here before

Sound familiar? That’s because we’ve seen this before from brands like OnePlus and Essential. You still can’t buy OnePlus phones from Canadian carriers, while Essential’s PH-1 was only available through Telus at launch. Yes, OnePlus has had considerable success, but you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone outside of tech circles that’s familiar with the brand.

Anecdotally, I used to work at a smartphone shop before I started writing for MobileSyrup. Nearly every customer I had was there to buy a new iPhone or new Samsung Galaxy, usually because their current iPhone or Samsung phone was broken or old. It was rare that a customer would show interest in a phone from another brand (I did have the occasional Pixel convert, though). The Essential Phone was available at the store I worked at too, but I don’t remember ever selling one even after it was steeply discounted at the end of its run.

Although I never owned an Essential Phone, I liked the device and always thought it was really unique. It was disappointing to see the phone come to Canada and languish in obscurity. Also, it’s worth noting Nothing scooped up what remained of Essential last year.

Need more than hardware gimmicks

So, breaking into the Canadian smartphone market is hard. You don’t need carriers to do it, but even if you have them, it might not help. Moreover, to get people to switch, you really need something to draw them in. Hardware gimmicks won’t cut it (as cool as those LED glyphs are). If I had to guess, the secret might be OnePlus’ anti-flagship tactic — the company garnered a lot of press by offering flagship smartphones at rock-bottom prices. That caught people’s attention and was enough to pull some away from the carrier upgrade pipeline.

Nothing’s Phone (1) doesn’t have that. Rumours point to the price being low, but that’s because it’s a mid-range device, not a flagship. Unfortunately, high-quality, mid-range devices exist in Canada from known brands — Apple’s iPhone SE, Google’s Pixel A-Series, and Samsung’s Galaxy A line, for example. Plus, those all have the benefit of being available from Canadian carriers.

With all this said, I think Nothing’s plan to skip Canada and the U.S. is the right play. Sure, it sucks for smartphone fans, but it also gives Nothing a chance to prove itself in less harsh markets. Maybe with some success attached to its name, Nothing could break through in Canada. Either way, Canadians dodge disappointment.

Image credit: Nothing

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Tech

Ottawa orders TikTok’s Canadian arm to be dissolved

Published

7 days ago

November 6, 2024

Anne Joseph

The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.

“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.

The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.

However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”

Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.

A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.

“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.

“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”

The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.

At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.

A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”

Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.

Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.

Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.

Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.

While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.

Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.

The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.

— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.

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Health

Here is how to prepare your online accounts for when you die

Published

3 weeks ago

October 24, 2024

Anne Joseph

LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?

It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.

Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:

Apple

The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.

For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.

You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.

Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.

Google

Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.

When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.

You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.

There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.

Facebook and Instagram

Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.

When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.

The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.

You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.

TikTok

The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.

Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.

It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.

Passwords

Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?

Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.

But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.

___

Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.

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Tech

Google’s partnership with AI startup Anthropic faces a UK competition investigation

Published

3 weeks ago

October 24, 2024

Anne Joseph

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.

The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.

The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.

“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”

San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.

Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”

“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.

The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.

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