Huawei will launch Mate 40 series on Oct. 22

Huawei's Mate flagship is getting an update with a scheduled launch for the Mate 40 series on October 22. It's the latest Huawei device to launch without access to the Google Play Store and Google Mobile Services. It also might be the last Huawei handset to be powered by a Kirin processor. US trade restrictions and bans have severely affected the Android experience on these handsets. But Huawei has been steadily developing its AppGallery to make up for that. It might not be enough for some users who are expecting the full access to Android and Google apps.

The company hasn't revealed much beyond the tagline "Leap Further Ahead." So, we're going to have to wait and see what Huawei is cooking up to try and convince smartphone buyers to consider their new flagship.

Source: 9to5Google

Google Meet adds breakout rooms to allow smaller group discussions

Source: Google

Online classes with tons of students can be overwhelming for both the learners and the teachers, especially when you want to encourage interaction. Google hopes to help out by rolling out breakout rooms for its Meet app. It's rolling out first to Enterprise for Education customers, but it will be available to more users later this year. This highly requested feature will let educators divide participants into smaller groups. Moderators can create up to 100 breakout rooms, with participants randomly and evenly distributed across rooms. But the organizers can move participants around manually, too. Teachers and moderators can jump from one breakout room to another to supervise or join discussions. 

Source: Engadget

Apple to ship orders from stores for some Canadian, American customers

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Apple will be making it easier and quicker for some customers in Canada and the US by shopping directly from its retail outlets. The company usually ships from distribution centres or straight from China. But now, those who live near Apple Stores could get their purchases from the nearby retailer. You won't get to choose where your order will come from, though. Apple's operations team will make the decision, and they will only ship to locations within 100 miles from an Apple Store.

In Canada, Apple will ship through United Parcel Service Inc., and you can receive your order as early as the next day. Apple began testing this new program when it started re-opening stores following the COVID-19 shutdown. It's not available at all its locations yet. This program can help keep stores operational even if they aren't open because of the pandemic. Apple reportedly told staff they could reduce costs and potentially increase profit margins with this practice.

Source: Engadget

Canadian Reviewer Weekly Roundup – 10/4 – 10/10

Apple hides AR Easter egg on iPhone 12 event site

Here's your first look at the 'Monster Hunter' movie 

Microsoft opens sign-ups for 'Flight Simulator' VR beta 

Google offers Chromecast with Google TV bundle for $120 

Apple sues GEEP Canada for allegedly reselling 100,000 iPhones, iPads, Watches meant for recycling 

Apple TV can finally play YouTube videos in 4K—sort of 

Google Meet to add Q&A, polls for G Suite paid users 

Instagram introduces 'Stories Map' to make it easier to find old posts 

Spotify on mobile now lets you look for songs using lyrics 

Facebook Portal devices get support for Netflix, Zoom 

Health Records on iPhone is now available in Canada 

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will now just receive quarterly updates 

OnePlus 8T's low-light camera performance gets teased 

Netflix Canada to raise prices for standard, premium plans 

Apple extends free trial for some of its TV+ users 

Google tipped to launch a cheaper Nest Thermostat with gesture controls 

Instagram Reels tries to catch up with TikTok with new audio features