Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Google's Pixel smartphones are taking a big step toward becoming a true Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy competitor.
At a virtual press conference on Tuesday, the company showed off the new 6.4-inch Pixel 6 and 6.7-inch Pixel 6 Pro, which run on Android 12, Google's most significant software update in years. The devices feature nearly bezel-less displays, a new camera system packed into the horizontal camera bar that runs along the backside, innovative photo features and a battery that can last nearly two days by prioritizing what apps are used most (and shutting down the rest).
But the real game changer is Google's new in-house Tensor processor, which marks a move away from the third-party chips that are commonly used in rival Android devices. The company said Tensor makes the Pixel 6 phones run 80% faster than the Pixel 5, allowing on-device artificial intelligence for features such as more accurate speech recognition and image processing. It also gives the phones more processing power for games and apps, and makes some of its new camera tools possible.
Apple, Huawei and Samsung have been making their own chips for years, but Google's effort to double down on a tailor-made processor for its own Google Android software shows it's ready to create a custom experience for its users and try to gain a much bigger slice of the global smartphone market. (Right now, Google Pixel represents less than 1% of global smartphone sales, selling about 3.7 million units last year, according to market research firm IDC.)
"Google never intended the Pixel to be a high volume smartphone," said David McQueen, research director at ABI Research. "The idea was that they would use the Pixel devices to showcase the Android ecosystem, demonstrating to their partners what could be done with top-end hardware and the latest Android software." But the advantages of a custom Google Tensor chip could allow it to make new experiences possible, he added.
The Pixel 6 comes in three colors -- Seafoam, Kinda Coral and black -- and starts at $599. Meanwhile, the Pixel 6 Pro is available in sunny, white and black, starting at $899. The new Pixel 6 phones are now available for pre-order and start shipping October 28.
The launch comes during a busy week for tech product launches ahead of the holiday season. On Monday, Apple unveiled new MacBook Pro laptops and its next-generation AirPods. And Samsung is hosting a mysterious press event on Wednesday. But these products are also launching amid ongoing concerns about global component shortages and logistics issues.
As with many smartphones, improvements to the camera are a key selling point. The Pixel 6 Pro features a new triple rear camera system with a pro-level telephoto lens with 4x optical zoom packed into the camera bar, and an 11 megapixel selfie camera on the front. The company said the sensor captures 150% more light, aiming to bring more vivid color and greater accuracy to photos. The company said it can capture the finest details, including of a starry sky.
Google also introduced new photo tools, including Face Unblur that better captures faces in tricky conditions, Magic Eraser in Google Photos that removes background distractions, and Motion Mode for action shots.
The company is adding new security features to the Pixel, too, such as a security hub that puts passwords in one spot and allows you to turn off microphones and cameras (or choose which apps can use them). The effort comes amid continued scrutiny of tech companies and their approach to user privacy.
It's also rolling out increased anti-phishing protection to detect potential risks and suspicious phone calls, text messages, emails and links, flagging them to users. Meanwhile, its new Personal Safety app detects if the user has been in an accident and helps them reach first responders.
Earlier this year, Google showed off a new look for Android 12, featuring bigger buttons, a large clock on the homescreen that changes in size depending on how many notifications appear, and muted pastel colors. It also features series of productivity updates, including an option to hold the power button for Google Assistant to make a phone call or ask for an article to be read out loud, and augmented reality tools in Google Maps.
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.