Bell plans to reopen some of its retail stores

In provinces where restrictions are easing, Bell has announced plans to open stores in areas that it can. But it promises to keep the health, well-being, and safety of its employees and customers in mind. You can use Bell's store locator to see if there's a store open in your area. However, Bell's flanker brand Virgin Mobile will remain closed.

The national carrier said in a statement: "As provinces gradually restrictions, we will open more store locations. To protect the health and well-being of our employees and customers, extra sanitation measures will be in effect in all open stores and, as a precaution, we will be limited the number of customers in a store at any given time."  

Source: MobileSyrup

Microsoft putting dual-screen devices on hold to focus on Surface and Windows updates

2020 was supposed to be the year of dual-screen devices and particularly for Microsoft who was preparing both the Surface Neo and Surface Duo devices as well as Windows 10X, the multi-mode dual-screen flavour of their operating system. This was before the COVID-19 forced massive populations to shelter-in-place and work from home. Windows 10X was initially supposed to herald the new dual-screen device segment from Microsoft and partners like HP, Lenovo, and others. This is no longer the case as the need for portable or mobile devices isn't that pressing in this new normal.

“It is important that we focus on meeting our customers where they are now and helping them get to where they want to be in the future,” Microsoft chief product officer Panos Panay writes. “With Windows 10X, we designed for flexibility, and that flexibility has enabled us to pivot our focus toward single-screen Windows 10X devices that leverage the power of the cloud to help our customers work, learn and play in new ways. These single-screen devices will be the first expression of Windows 10X that we deliver to our customers, and we will continue to look for the right moment, in conjunction with our OEM partners, to bring dual-screen devices to market.”

Source: Thurrott

Huawei Mate 30 Pro will be available in Canada on May 8

The Huawei Mate 30 Pro will be available this month in Canada. Starting May 8, you can purchase the flagship phone through Staples, Newegg, The Shopping Channel, and Visions Electronics for $1,399.99. It must be noted that the Mate 30 Pro doesn't have Google Play Store and Google Play Services installed because the U.S. ban placed on the company still stands. You'll have to use Huawei's AppGallery to get apps, or you can use Huawei's Phone Clone app to transfer apps from your previous devices.

The Mate 30 Pro is powered by HiSilicon Kirin 990 processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and EMUI 10. The smartphone has a 6.53-inch waterfall display, quad-camera setup at the back, dual selfie cameras, and a 4,500mAh battery.

Source: MobileSyrup

Taika Waititi will direct, co-write a new 'Star Wars' film

Image courtesy of Lucasfilm/Disney

Academy Award-winning director Taika Waititi is crossing over to another big Disney-owned franchise as he's set to direct and co-write an upcoming Star Wars film. In case you didn't know, Waititi is known for directing Marvel Cinematic Universe's Thor: Ragnarok and the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder film. He's actually also worked in the Star Wars universe when he directed the season finale of The Mandalorian.

Waititi will co-write the film with Krysty Wilson-Cairns, who worked on Oscar-nominated movie 1917. It isn't known yet what the film will be about, but it's going to be released in theatres. There will also be a new Star Wars series coming to Disney+ that is in development from Russian Doll writer Leslye Headland. Disney and Lucasfilm haven't divulged when these projects will be launched.

Source: Star Wars