Canadian Reviewer Weekly Roundup 12/31-1/06

Canadian International AutoShow to offer electric vehicle test drives

Apple Watch helps you ring in 2018 with fireworks on the clock face

OnePlus starts rolling out Android Oreo update for the 5T through OxygenOS Open Beta 1

Samsung acknowledges there are charging issues for some Note8 and S8 devices

OnePlus 5 gets Face Unlock feature through Open Beta 3

Camera NX brings Pixel 2’s portrait mode to older Pixel and Nexus devices

Microsoft discontinues production of the Kinect Adapter

LG to include Google Assistant and its own AI assistant into 2018 TV lineup

Apple acquires Vancouver development studio Buddybuild

Tesla Model 3 makes it from LA to New York in 50 hours

Netflix confirms sequel for ‘Bright’

Screens for some Galaxy Note8, S8 users reportedly wake up on their own

Dell unveils new XPS 13 design with thinner and lighter form factor

The OnePlus 5T Sandstone White Limited Edition is an object of desire

All Mac and iOS devices are affected by Spectre and Meltdown flaw

Jimmy Iovine rumoured to be leaving Apple Music in August

Meltdown and Spectre patches for Surface devices released by Microsoft

HP announces three education focused Chromebook devices

Twitter: Blocking world leaders on its service will ‘hide important information’

Netflix teases new David Letterman series, shows Obama as the show’s first guest

Cortana's music recognition feature no longer works the way it used to

Belkin reveals 2018 lineup of smart charging solutions

CES 2018: Acer showcases the thinnest computer in the world, the Acer Swift 7

CES 2018: myCharge launches All Powerful battery pack with 20,000mAh capacity

CES 2018: myCharge launches All Powerful battery pack with 20,000mAh capacity

If you want a battery pack that can charge almost anything, the new myCharge All Powerful battery pack is for you. It’s not the most portable battery pack but it comes with a USB-A port, USB-C port, AC outlet and even Qi-based wireless charging. According to the company, the 65-watt AC outlet built into the All Powerful can run a 32-inch TV, power most laptops, and operate a camping fan or light; the USB-A and USB-C can charge most of your mobile devices; and the Qi-based charger supports 10W fast charge. This battery pack is going to be available in April 2018 and will come with a retail price of US$199.99 (around CA$250).

Source: MacRumors

Netflix’s ‘Sabrina The Teenage Witch’ series names Kiernan Shipka as lead actress

Courtesy of WBTV

What was first considered a Riverdale spinoff on The CW and now a Netflix series gets its lead actress. The untitled Sabrina The Teenage Witch series will star Mad Men and Feud grad Kiernan Shipka. Netflix already ordered two 10-episode seasons of the show and as we reported before it is based on the Archie Comics graphic novel The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. With the show being likened to the likes of Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist, Sabrina struggles with reconciling her witch and mortal sides as she goes against the evil forces that threaten her world.

Riverdale executive producer Robertor Aguirre-Sacasa, who will direct and co-executive produce the show, had this to say about Shipka’s casting, "We’re all such huge fans of Kiernan’s work that when we started talking about who this new incarnation of Sabrina could be, her name was on everyone’s wish list. This is a darker, more macabre version of Sabrina, and we’re incredibly excited for people to see Kiernan make this iconic character her own."

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Apple orders docuseries on ‘extraordinary’ homes

Will the series feature more futuristic or high-tech homes? That's one of the many questions we have about this upcoming Apple docuseries.

Apple is taking the fight seriously to both Netflix and Amazon in the original content space. The tech company has tapped Altimeter Films, Time Inc. Productions, and producer Matthew Weaver to create a 10-episode documentary called Home. It’ll take viewers inside what are considered “extraordinary” homes and will feature the designers who created them. It isn’t known who will be narrating or hosting the documentary series or when it’ll air. We do know Apple isn’t skimping on bringing on the talent to work on its projects. Weaver is known for his work on musical Rock of Ages and documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi and the Netflix series Chef’s Table.

This is the first docuseries ordered under the new worldwide video programming division the company has, which is led by Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg. It shows the diversity the company is aiming for when it comes to content. The company already has three scripted series pickups; morning show drama that’s executive produced by and starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon; a Ronald D. Moore space drama; and Amazing Stories, a reimagining of the anthology from Steven Spielberg and Bryan Fuller. It’s uncertain where Apple will release this show, whether on Apple Music or on an entirely different service. But we’ll find that out soon enough.

Source: Deadline