Nest Learning Thermostat might be coming to Canada through Google Play

It would make sense that Google will sell the product of its latest acquisition on the Google Play Store. You can find all Google devices there already. While Google has not officially announced its availability yet, Droid Life was able to grab a screenshot of Google Play’s support pages for available devices with the Nest Learning Thermostat in the list. It says the device will be available in Canada, the US, and UK. The product isn’t available in those countries right now. So, does that mean Google plans to sell the Nest here? There is no word yet from Google and they have pulled the listing from the support page. We’ll keep our eyes and ears open for any developments.

UPDATE

Google has started to sell the Nest Learning Thermostat on Google Play for US$249. The tech company even helped celebrate Earth Day by planting a tree for every Nest device it sold.

Source: PCMag

Twitter rolls out new profile pages to everyone

The Twitter profile revamp isn’t just for a select few anymore. Twitter has introduced its new profile pages for everyone using the site. Not only do Twitter users get a new look, there is also now a tally of how many times you’ve favorite tweets; the month and year you joined is now on display; and there is a separate page for all the photos and videos you’ve uploaded. If you don’t have the new version yet, you can head over here from your desktop and click the “Get it now” button.

New web profiles are now available for everyone. Update yours today with a pinned Tweet or a new header image. https://t.co/Y3VOV0XvRo

— Twitter (@twitter) April 22, 2014

Source: Engadget

Netflix announces price hike for new members in the US, no word on price increase in Canada yet

Netflix has announced its plans to raise prices for new members in the US by a dollar or two later in the quarter but they did not specify whether they would do so in other countries as well. Huffington Post Canada tried to reach Netflix for a comment but they have not gotten back yet. The company has previously raised prices in Ireland from €6.99 to €7.99 for new members earlier in the year so it won’t be a surprise if it makes its way here. 

The company aims to improve its offerings with the price increase. As stated in a letter to shareholders, "In the U.S. we have greatly improved our content selection since we introduced our streaming plan in 2010 at $7.99 per month. Our current view is to do a one or two dollar increase, depending on the country, later this quarter for new members only. Existing members would stay at current pricing (e.g. $7.99 in the U.S.) for a generous time period. These changes will enable us to acquire more content and deliver an even better streaming experience."

Microsoft and Nokia to complete merger on April 25

Mark the date. Microsoft has just announced the exact date when it will complete its acquisition of Nokia’s (or should we say Microsoft Mobile?) devices and services business. According to a blog post by Microsoft’s General Counsel Brad Smith, the merger will take place on April 25, Friday. All legal hurdles are said to be cleared at this time. After the merger, Microsoft will be in charge of Nokia’s website and social media presence for up to a year. Former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop will be in charge of the devices division at Microsoft, where he will also report directly to CEO Satya Nadella. 

Source: Engadget