'The Art of the Mass Effect Trilogy' book now up for pre-order

If you're a fan of Mass Effect, you might want to check out this new art book about the games. The Art of the Mass Effect Trilogy: Expanded Edition is now available for pre-order, with a release date of February 23, 2021. It promises to include never-before-seen works of art and "contains extensive new material from the DLCs for all three games—including the award-winning Lair of the Shadow Broker from Mass Effect 2 and the fan-favourite Citadel from Mass Effect 3." On Amazon Canada, the hardcover goes for $53.99.

While these kinds of books aren't unexpected, EuroGamer points out that there have been rumours that BioWare is working on a remaster of the three Mass Effect games. Could this mean the book launch coincides with the release of the remaster?

Pixel 4 XL's glass back is coming loose for some users

Hardware issues are unfortunately common for Pixel phones. And this time, the latest problem is with the Pixel 4 XL. Reports on Reddit and Google's support forums have customers complaining about the phone's back panel coming loose. It typically starts in one corner and worsens from there. It seems to start from the left side corners for many users, but that could be coincidental. 

The company seems to be shipping out replacements for those affected, but this doesn't solve it. Refurbished phones can still carry this issue. A Reddit comment from last month of a user claiming to be the general manager of a uBreakiFix store says the peeling is usually caused by a fault connector that causes the phone's battery to expand. It's a problem Google has faced before with the Nexus 6P. It's not a good look for Google as its hardware continues to face issues. While the company has excellent software, it has some work to do hardware-wise.

Source: Android Police

Microsoft no longer offers 12-month Xbox Live Gold plans

Microsoft has confirmed that it's stopped offering the 12-month Xbox Live Gold plans to its users. But the 1- and 3-month plans are still available. The company didn't explain why it decided to stop selling the annual plan. Speculation is that Microsoft might want to focus on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, or it might want to introduce a new service when the Xbox Series X launches. The news comes as Microsoft ceased production of the Xbox One X and Xbox One S All-Digital. The company's Xbox chief Phil Spencer also recently confirmed that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate would bundle in Project xCloud game streaming service, which means these subscribers don't need to spend extra on xCloud when it launches in September.

Source: TrueAchievements

OnePlus Nord will use Google's calling, messaging apps

For Android users who prefer Google's stock apps over anything smartphone manufacturers have to offer, OnePlus has some good news for you. The more budget-friendly OnePlus Nord will use Google's Messages and Duo apps instead of the company's default apps. OnePlus didn't elaborate the reasons behind this choice, but it said the Google apps would deliver the "smoothest" experience for its users. 

Source: Engadget