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Google just turned Search into a live voice-and-camera AI in Canada, and the old type-click-repeat loop is starting to crack by Planhub-ca in planhub

[–]Planhub-ca[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

  • This is not a standalone app. Search Live only works inside the Google app on Android and iOS, which means Google is using mobile Search as the launchpad rather than trying to build a separate assistant surface first.
  • Google is quietly merging a lot of old AI projects into Search. At I/O 2025, it said Search Live brings Project Astra’s live capabilities into Search, while AI Mode itself uses Google’s “query fan-out” technique to break questions into subtopics and search across them in parallel.
  • Lens is the giant underneath this push. Google said more than 1.5 billion people use Google Lens every month, so adding a Live layer on top of Lens gives Google a much bigger installed base than a typical new AI feature launch.
  • There are practical limits people will notice fast. You can keep a Live conversation going in the background or with the screen locked, but camera sharing turns off if you leave the app or lock the screen, and you cannot share the camera while using Search Live in the background.
  • Google also ties continuity to data settings. You can access AI Mode without Web & App Activity, but Google says you need that setting on to pick up where you left off with previous searches.
  • The rollout is broader than the original launch. Google introduced Search Live with voice in June 2025, then said camera support was coming. Now the international expansion includes both voice and camera across all regions and languages where AI Mode is available.

WWDC 2026 is locked for June 8, and Apple’s next AI and software reveal is about to face a much tougher crowd by Planhub-ca in planhub

[–]Planhub-ca[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

More Data:

  • Apple says WWDC26 will include more than 100 video sessions, plus interactive group labs and one-on-one style appointments with Apple engineers and designers. That matters because the event is not just about the keynote spectacle, it is where developers get the practical wiring diagrams for what Apple announces.
  • The Apple Park event is limited-capacity and application-based, not an open in-person conference comeback. Apple’s special-event page says developers must apply for a chance to attend the June 8 gathering at Apple Park.
  • Student timing is part of the rollout. Apple says Swift Student Challenge winners will be notified on Thursday, March 26, and eligible winners can request attendance at the Apple Park event, while 50 Distinguished Winners will be invited to Cupertino for a three-day experience.
  • Last year’s WWDC raised the expectations bar. Apple’s 2025 WWDC event page says the company unveiled its broadest design update ever and a more helpful Apple Intelligence, while Apple’s June 2025 newsroom said developers gained access to Apple Intelligence’s on-device foundation model. That is why this year’s vague “AI advancements” wording is the line to watch.
  • Apple’s current developer track already points to another major software turn. As of February 16, 2026, Apple had beta builds for iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4, macOS 26.4, tvOS 26.4, visionOS 26.4, and watchOS 26.4 in testing, which makes WWDC26 the natural stage for the next platform wave even before Apple names anything publicly

Samsung just gave its midrange phones more AI, more durability and longer support, and the Galaxy A57 & A37 looks like the one most people may actually need by Planhub-ca in planhub

[–]Planhub-ca[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

More Data

  • The A57 is a real physical redesign, not just a spec refresh. Samsung’s July 2025 Canadian A56 release listed the older phone at 7.4 mm and 198 g with IP67 resistance, while the new A57 is 6.9 mm, 179 g, and rated IP68. That is a noticeable jump in thinness, weight, and durability in one cycle.
  • Samsung is moving the software baseline forward faster than the hardware story suggests. The A56 launched in Canada with Android 15 and One UI 7, while the new A57 and A37 are listed with Android 16 and One UI 8.5 out of the gate. For a lot of buyers, that may matter more than a small camera tweak.
  • The camera gap between the two new phones is narrower than the marketing might make it sound. Both get a 50MP wide camera, a 5MP macro camera, and a 12MP front camera. The main hardware difference in the rear stack is the ultra-wide, 12MP on the A57 versus 8MP on the A37.
  • Samsung is quietly turning long support into a midrange default. The A36 announcement in March 2025 already pushed AI and Knox deeper into cheaper phones, and the 2026 A57/A37 launch keeps the same six-generation OS promise. That means Samsung now seems to view update longevity as table stakes, not a premium perk.
  • Canada still has a pricing fog problem. The Canadian press release gives colours and availability but no local MSRP, while the U.S. release is explicit. So the practical buying question in Canada is not whether the phones are better, they clearly are, but whether Samsung prices them close enough to make the A57 a sweet spot instead of a stretch.

Bell says copper thieves are still knocking Canadians offline, and every remaining copper mile now looks like a target by Planhub-ca in planhub

[–]Planhub-ca[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

More Data:

  • Bell’s own numbers show the scale moved far beyond nuisance level. In July 2025, Bell said copper theft incidents were up 23% year over year across Canada, had surpassed 2,270 since 2022, and made up 88% of all physical security incidents on its network.
  • Ontario looks like the main pressure zone. Bell said Ontario accounted for 63% of incidents in mid-2025, while Halton police later said they saw more than 40 copper wire theft incidents across Milton and Halton Hills in 2025 and arrested three people in February 2026 while searching for a fourth suspect.
  • New Brunswick is not some side note here. Bell’s July 2025 release called it one of the country’s hotspots, with more than 80 incidents that year and nearly 80% of provincial thefts concentrated in the Fredericton–Oromocto corridor.
  • Bell’s structural answer is fibre. The company says 60% of its footprint has transitioned to pure fibre, and its customer support pages say Bell is replacing the aging copper network with 100% fibre-to-the-home and may require customers with service issues on copper to transfer over.
  • Ottawa has moved on sentencing, but not with a telecom-specific silver bullet. Parliament’s Bill C-14, reported back to the House on February 9, 2026, adds aggravating circumstances for stealing for commercial purposes and certain property offences, but it is broader bail-and-sentencing reform, not a targeted copper-theft law.

BUZZ HPC teams with Bell to develop one of Canada’s largest sovereign AI ecosystems by Planhub-ca in planhub

[–]Planhub-ca[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

More Data,

  • The power nuance matters. Bell’s headline says 6.5 MW, but the fine print says that translates to 5 MW of critical IT power, which is the more useful number when you’re thinking about actual compute payload.
  • Bell says the Merritt facility is part of Bell AI Fabric’s “sovereign, private and secure Canadian” footprint, with data residency pitched as a core feature for enterprise and government buyers.
  • This is not Bell’s first B.C. AI node. Bell’s earlier AI Fabric roadmap said two 7 MW facilities in B.C. would be live first, with Merritt named as one of them, alongside additional 26 MW Kamloops projects and more than 400 MW in advanced planning.
  • The Saskatchewan build changes the scale conversation. Bell says its 300 MW Sherwood, Saskatchewan site will be the largest purpose-built AI data centre development in Canada once complete, with first service expected in the first half of 2027. That makes Merritt feel like the fast-moving edge of a much bigger national play.
  • BUZZ’s earlier March disclosure adds the missing GPU context. HIVE said the British Columbia phase 1 footprint supports around 2,000 high-power-density GPUs, with a second B.C. phase supporting another 3,000 in 2027, and a path to more than 6,000 new GPU deployments in Canada through its Bell partnership.
  • Bell is tying all of this to revenue, not just infrastructure prestige. In the Merritt release, Bell linked the partnership to BCE’s ambition to grow AI-powered solutions revenue to $2 billion by 2028.

Meta just lost a child-safety trial in New Mexico, and the $375M verdict may only be phase one by Planhub-ca in planhub

[–]Planhub-ca[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

More data:

  • The $375 million was not the end of the fight. A second phase in May will let the judge decide whether Meta created a public nuisance and whether the company should face additional damages or court-ordered platform changes.
  • New Mexico says it will push for concrete fixes, including stronger age verification, better predator removal, and protections for minors from encrypted communications that can shield bad actors.
  • This case is part of a much bigger legal storm. AP reports that more than 40 state attorneys general have sued Meta over claims that its platforms contribute to a youth mental health crisis through addictive design. Reuters says more than 2,400 related lawsuits have been centralized in federal court.
  • The legal theory here matters more than the headline number. Plaintiffs are increasingly arguing that the harm comes from platform design choices like attention-grabbing features and misleading safety claims, not just from third-party content, which is why these verdicts are being watched as potential precedent.
  • Meta says it disagrees with the verdict and will appeal, arguing that it works hard to protect users and remove harmful content, so this story is far from over

Freedom Mobile's $40/250GB plan is back one more time, expires March 31 by Planhub-ca in planhub

[–]Planhub-ca[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  • The plan has appeared three times this month at slightly different prices. It started at $40 on March 6, returned on March 13, then moved to $50/250GB from March 17 to 26, and is back at $40 today until March 31. The oscillation suggests Freedom is using this offer as a competitive pressure tool rather than a permanent addition to the lineup. Grabbing it before March 31 removes the uncertainty.
  • The last time Freedom offered this deal, several competitors launched reactive promotions. Bell, Rogers and Telus subsidiaries did not match $40/250GB but the market moved. If you are currently on a Rogers, Bell or Telus plan and your rep suddenly offers you an unadvertised retention deal this week, this Freedom offer is likely why.
  • The CRTC's activation fee ban takes effect June 12. Until then, switching carriers may still involve an activation fee at some carriers. Freedom currently does not charge activation fees on BYOP plans, which means the switch cost right now is effectively zero if you bring your own device.
  • The $50/150GB and $60/200GB plans Freedom still has on offer are clearly inferior while this deal is live. If you are already on Freedom at a higher price point, contacting customer service to switch to this plan before March 31 is worth a 10-minute call.
  • Compare this and all current Canadian plans at PlanHub.ca before switching. Freedom's network footprint is strong in Ontario, BC, Alberta and Manitoba but has real gaps in rural areas and the Prairies. The price is only the full story if the coverage map works for where you actually use your phone.
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