Canadian Reviewer Weekly Roundup - 12/3- 12/9

Hollywood Suites will ring in 2024 with 3 new Canadian films

The messaging app by Google is now simply called Google Messages

Spotify announces third round of layoffs this year, affecting 1,500 workers

Galaxy S25 and S25+ may ditch Samsung ISOCELL sensors for Sony ones

EXCEL Gum launches ASMR soundtracks on Spotify to help calm students during exam season

Netflix releases additional images of The Crown Season 6 Part 2

Razer launches new earbuds for VR gaming

Retrospekt and Peanuts celebrate 50 years of Beagle Scouts with retro-tech gear

'Overwatch 2' Season 8 plagued by performance issues on PS5

McDonald’s teams up with Google to bring AI to thousands of stores by 2024

Apple surprises with Qi2 wireless charging support for older iPhones

Motorola Razr+ now comes in 'Peach Fuzz'

23andMe changes terms of service to block class action lawsuits after massive hack

23andMe changes terms of service to block class action lawsuits after massive hack

Image: 23andMe

Genetic testing company 23andMe updated its terms of service to prevent customers from filing class action lawsuits or participating in a jury trial against the company, days after disclosing that hackers had breached its system and accessed the personal information of nearly seven million customers (half of its user base) in October.

The company emailed customers to announce that it had revised the “Dispute Resolution and Arbitration section” of its terms, which barred customers from filing class action lawsuits, a likely scenario given the scale of the hack. Customers who did not opt out of the new terms within 30 days would automatically agree to them, the email said.

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Motorola Razr+ now comes in 'Peach Fuzz'

Image: Motorola

Motorola has teamed up with Pantone once again to launch a special edition of its Razr+ smartphone in Peach Fuzz. It's available in select markets for US$699.99 (around CA$951), which is already US$300 (~CA$408) off its original price. 

Pantone's Colour of the Year is inspired by a juicy summer treat. Peach Fuzz, or Pantone 13-1023, is a “velvety” and “gentle” hue that evokes “a cozy, tender essence that embodies feelings of togetherness, community and collaboration.” 

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Apple surprises with Qi2 wireless charging support for older iPhones

Apple, known for its cautious approach to new standards, already surprised us with Qi2 compatibility on its iPhone 15, but it seems that Cupertino has more tricks up its sleeve. According to 9to5Mac and some users, the release notes for the iOS 17.2 release candidate state that this update adds "Qi2 charger support for all iPhone 13 models and iPhone 14 models." This implies that these iPhone models can support up to 15W wireless charging with Qi2-certified chargers, although the release notes did not confirm the power specs. We will find out when Apple releases iOS 17.2 to the general public—probably in a few days.

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