It’s Easy to See Why Gaming is Taking over Canada

Source: UnsplashGaming is big business in Canada, both as a provider of jobs and a popular leisure activity. In 2019, it was found that the Canadian games industry, through wages and revenue, contributed over $4 billion to the national GDP. What's more, studios were distinctly showing their ability to grow and to pump more money into the industry.  

On the consumer side, Canada’s games market, by revenues, ranks eighth in the world, despite having a far smaller population than every other nation in the top ten. Then, of course, there’s the burgeoning iGaming sector, which is already estimated to be in the region of $2.4 billion in value.

Despite the incredible sums of money revolving around all forms of gaming in Canada, it’s the inherent accessibility of free gaming that’s laid the foundation of the industry. Looking at the products and offers, it’s easy to see how it’s risen to prominence.

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YouTube tests out cheaper 'Premium Lite' subscription in Europe

Photo by Szabó Viktor from Pexels

YouTube wants to entice more people to subscribe to its Premium service, so they're now offering a more affordable tier that only takes out ads and doesn't bundle YouTube Music or include offline downloads and background playback. The plan costs EUR 6.99 per month, which is the same price as its student tier. The company is testing out the feature in countries like the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, and Norway.

According to the YouTube Premium Lite page, this tier offers ad-free YouTube and YouTube Kids across devices, including mobile, desktop, and TVs.

Source: Engadget

IKEA launches a smart air purifier that's also a side table

Source: IKEA

IKEA's first take at a smart air purifier tries to mask its looks a bit. One of the two kinds of the Starkvind air purifiers will also work as a side table. The other is a more conventional floor, standalone purifier. The former will retail for USD 189, while the latter will cost USD 129. If you want access to the smart home hub, you'll need to pay an extra USD 35. Compared to more premium air purifiers, you shouldn't expect all the bells and whistles.

Both purifiers feature a three-filter system to capture bigger particles like hair and dust, 99.5% of smaller airborne particles that are less than 2.5 micrometres (one 400th of a millimetre) pollutants like formaldehyde, pollen, and even foul odours.

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Ariana Grande will hold a virtual 'Fortnite' concert

Epic Games want to attract Ariana Grande fans into Fortnite. The Rift Tour concert series will be headlined by the pop superstar, with the first show taking place on August 6 at 6 PM Eastern, followed by August 7 and 8 shows so those in other time zones can tune in. Epic wants concertgoers to arrive early (at least an hour before the show). The Rift Tour playlist will go live 30 minutes before the show. 

Of course, you can score themed cosmetic items, too. You can pick up an Ariana outfit and a Piggy Smallz Back Bling. Both items will appear in the Fortnite Item Shop on August 4 at 8 PM Eastern, with show attendees being able to get an umbrella glider. If you can't or won't go to a live show these days, Ariana is bringing the show to you. If you play Fortnite, that is.

Source: Engadget