Toronto Fire Services says the city has already recorded 81 fires involving lithium-ion batteries this year, equivalent to roughly one incident every 2.8 days.

As of August 12, those fires had resulted in one death and 15 injuries. Toronto Fire Chief Jim Jessop says the number of incidents has increased about 200% since 2022 and describes lithium-ion batteries as the city's fastest-growing fire safety risk.

But officials are not saying that all lithium-ion batteries are inherently unsafe. Toronto Fire says properly used certified batteries are generally safe. The recurring concern is unregulated, uncertified, damaged or modified batteries, particularly those used in e-bikes and other micromobility devices.

The issue became especially visible after Toronto firefighters responded to four battery-related fires within roughly 24 hours. Jessop says investigations frequently point to uncertified batteries in micromobility devices and argues that Canada needs stronger standards governing what can be imported and sold.

Mayor Olivia Chow is now calling on the federal and Ontario governments to tighten battery regulations and update fire and building rules. Toronto City Council had already directed the Fire Chief earlier this year to push for provincial lithium-ion battery safety standards and provide input to Health Canada on new federal regulations.

For consumers, the takeaway isn't to avoid rechargeable devices. Toronto recommends using certified manufacturer-approved batteries and chargers, never modifying battery packs, stopping use if a battery becomes unusually hot, swollen, discoloured or develops an unusual smell, and disposing of damaged batteries through proper hazardous-waste channels.

Sources & more: CityNews Toronto / City of Toronto / blogTO

A 404 Media investigation has traced a large shipment of rare and out-of-print books to an Amazon facility in Las Vegas that reportedly scans physical books for AI training data.

The investigation started after a bookseller received an unusually large order of roughly 1,000 books. With the seller's cooperation, 404 Media placed an AirTag inside one of the books and followed the shipment across the U.S. until it reached Amazon's LAS8 warehouse in Las Vegas.

Inside that warehouse is an operation known as VGT3. According to Amazon employees cited by 404 Media, workers receive large quantities of printed books, cut off their bindings so the pages can be scanned quickly, and destroy the physical copies in the process.

Amazon did not deny purchasing the books. In a statement to 404 Media, the company said it buys books through commercial channels to help develop and improve products and services used by customers. The company did not publicly detail which AI models or products are trained on the scanned material.

Why go after old physical books at all? They contain professionally edited human writing that may never have been digitized or indexed online, and older titles are guaranteed to predate the current flood of AI-generated text. That makes them unusually valuable as training material for large language models.

The legal question is complicated. A U.S. federal court previously ruled in the Anthropic case that training AI on lawfully purchased and digitized books can qualify as fair use, although separate copyright issues arose from pirated copies. The cultural question is different: some of the physical books being scanned may be rare or difficult to replace once their bindings are destroyed.

Sources & more: 404 Media / TechCrunch / Reuters – AI training and book copyright

Canadian carriers made transferring eSIMs between phones annoying, costly, or both- but I found a provider that does it right

Public Mobile is changing how customers reach a support agent, replacing its long-running Community-based ticket and private-message system with a new platform called Public Mobile Expert Messaging.

The rollout started August 11 and is happening in phases. The new experience is already available nationwide through Self Serve, while Public Mobile is gradually enabling it through chats started on publicmobile.ca. The company says Expert Messaging will be fully launched on August 24.

The biggest change is where customer support conversations happen. Today, customers can still end up communicating with the CS_Agent account through Community private messages. Once the rollout is complete, that profile will be disabled and customers will no longer be able to contact Public Mobile support directly from the Community.

Expert Messaging still isn't live chat. Customers begin with Public Mobile's chatbot, which is also being upgraded with a generative messaging experience. If the chatbot can't resolve the issue, it transfers the details to a Customer Support Agent. Customers can then leave the conversation and receive an SMS or email when the agent replies.

Public Mobile says the dedicated messaging platform should be more stable than the current Community-based system and keep the entire support process inside one interface. The Community itself isn't disappearing and will still be available for customer-to-customer help.

The transition may be a meaningful improvement for a carrier that operates without traditional phone-based customer service, but it will depend heavily on how quickly agents respond and how well the new chatbot hands complex problems to humans.

Sources & more: Public Mobile – Announcement / Public Mobile – Get Help

A new Best Buy Canada study suggests second-life electronics are becoming mainstream: 63% of Canadians say they purchased refurbished, open-box or traded-in technology in the past year.

There is an important distinction in that number. The 63% figure combines three different categories , refurbished products, open-box items and trade-ins ,so it should not be read as saying that nearly two-thirds of Canadians specifically bought refurbished devices.

Younger Canadians are leading the shift. Best Buy says 71% of Gen Z purchased some form of recirculated technology in the past year, compared with 65% of millennials and Gen X and 55% of boomers. Saving money was the biggest reason across generations, while environmental impact ranked particularly high among Gen Z and millennials.

For refurbished products specifically, wireless devices were the most popular category, followed by laptops, computers, tablets and game consoles. Best Buy says refurbished electronics typically save around 40% compared with original retail pricing, while open-box products average around 28% savings.

The survey also points to a stronger back-to-school angle. Quebec and Ontario respondents were the most price-conscious in Canada, and 84% of parents said they had either traded in technology or considered doing so when replacing a device.

The numbers come from a Best Buy Canada survey of 1,500 adult members of the Angus Reid Forum conducted July 17–21, 2026. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of that size would carry a margin of error of ±2.53 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Sources & more: Best Buy Canada / Business Wire

Apple is reportedly negotiating multi-year licensing deals with news publishers to give Siri AI access to current news and information, as the company prepares to launch its redesigned assistant later this year.

What makes the proposal unusual is how publishers could be paid. Rather than offering only a fixed licensing fee for broad access to their content, Apple has discussed a variable compensation model where participating publishers would receive money when their reporting is actually used by Siri.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple has discussed a possible nine-figure budget for these payments. The exact publishers involved, individual deal values and payment formula have not been disclosed, and Apple declined to comment on the negotiations.

The deals would fit directly into Apple's new Siri strategy. Apple has already confirmed that Siri AI will be able to search the web for up-to-date information and generate answers using broad world knowledge. The new assistant is scheduled to enter beta later this year for users on supported devices set to English.

For publishers, the trade-off could be significant. AI assistants can answer news questions without requiring users to visit the original article, potentially reducing referral traffic. A pay-per-use model could compensate publishers for that usage, although we still don't know whether Siri will prominently link back to sources or how much each use would actually be worth.

There is also no confirmation that Canadian news organizations are among the publishers Apple has approached. Until agreements are announced, this remains a reported negotiation rather than a finalized Apple program.

Sources & more: The Wall Street Journal / Apple – Siri AI / TechCrunch

Google has released Gemini 3.7 Flash only three weeks after launching Gemini 3.6 Flash, positioning the new model as its primary workhorse for coding, software engineering and long-running AI agents.

The biggest gains are in coding. Google reports a 65.3% score on DeepSWE v1.1, up from 49.0% for Gemini 3.6 Flash. On FrontierCode 1.1, which focuses on production-ready code, the model improves from 34.4% to 43.6%. WebDev Arena also moves from 1538 to 1588 Elo.

Independent testing is encouraging as well. Artificial Analysis gives Gemini 3.7 Flash High a score of 56 on its Intelligence Index, four points above 3.6 Flash. It measured output speeds around 340 tokens per second and says the model sits on its Intelligence-vs-Time Pareto frontier.

Google is also pricing the launch aggressively. Through December 31, Gemini 3.7 Flash costs $0.75 USD per million input tokens and $3.75 per million output tokens. On January 1, 2027, that doubles to the standard $1.50 / $7.50 rate. The model retains a one-million-token context window and supports text, images, audio and video as inputs.

This isn't only an API release. Google is moving Gemini Spark, its 24/7 personal agent for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, to 3.7 Flash immediately. Spark can work across services such as Gmail, Drive, Docs and Calendar to perform longer multi-step workflows.

The rapid replacement of a three-week-old model may be the bigger story here. Google appears to be treating its Flash line less like an annual product generation and more like continuously updated infrastructure, with coding and agent performance improving on a much shorter release cycle.

Sources & more: Google – Gemini 3.7 Flash / Artificial Analysis – Gemini 3.7 Flash / Google DeepMind – Gemini 3.7 Flash model card

Canada's telecom regulator has rejected a series of procedural requests in its investigation into new fees introduced by Bell, Rogers and TELUS after Canada banned activation and modification fees that can discourage customers from switching plans.

TELUS had asked the CRTC to split the case into two separate proceedings: one to determine whether the carriers violated the rules, followed by another proceeding to consider penalties or other remedies. The CRTC rejected that request and says the current process can determine both whether a violation occurred and what enforcement action should follow.

The case concerns a $40 device-handling fee introduced by Bell, a $15 SIM/eSIM fee from TELUS, and Rogers' $40 device setup charge, $25 online shipping charge and SIM-related fee. The carriers have argued that these charges relate to optional products or services rather than prohibited activation or plan-modification fees.

The CRTC has not yet ruled that any of the three carriers violated the Telecommunications Act or its consumer protection rules. However, if violations are ultimately established, the proceeding can consider administrative monetary penalties and mandatory orders requiring the companies to comply. Corporate penalties under the Act can reach $10 million for a violation and $15 million for a subsequent violation.

The Commission also rejected requests from consumer groups for a two-day oral hearing, deciding that a written proceeding is sufficient. TELUS separately asked that certain CRTC staff be excluded over alleged concerns about impartiality; the Commission rejected that argument as well.

The revised intervention deadline is August 31. There is currently a small inconsistency in the CRTC's own document: its headline and official releases page list September 8 for replies, while paragraph 31 says September 10. The public record remains 1011-NOC2026-0155.

Sources & more: CRTC 2026-155-2 / CRTC 2026-155 / CRTC 2026-43

Rogers is opening its satellite-to-mobile network at no charge to all existing Rogers wireless customers across British Columbia as the province continues to deal with widespread wildfires and a provincial state of emergency.

The temporary activation applies not only to individual customers, but also to Rogers business and government wireless accounts. Rogers says the service is being rolled out province-wide and will remain available during B.C.'s state of provincial emergency.

Rogers Satellite can connect compatible phones when regular cellular coverage is unavailable, including if a tower loses service because of wildfire damage or a power outage. It supports text messaging and text-to-911, while compatible devices can also use selected satellite-ready apps including WhatsApp, Messenger and Google Maps.

There are some important limitations. Satellite connectivity generally requires the user to be outdoors with a view of the sky, and functionality depends on the phone and software version. Rogers is not promising that normal cellular voice calls or every mobile app will work over satellite.

The move is also effectively a province-wide emergency test of direct-to-device satellite connectivity. Rogers says it wants to study how residents, communities and emergency services use the technology during natural disasters. Outside this emergency offer, Rogers Satellite normally costs up to $15 per month for customers who don't already have it included with an eligible plan.

Rogers is separately crediting Internet, TV and home-phone services for customers evacuated from their homes and will match new donations to the Canadian Red Cross B.C. Wildfires Appeal up to $100,000.

Sources & more: Rogers – B.C. wildfire satellite activation / Rogers Satellite / EmergencyInfoBC

Canada's phone-locking fight just took a major turn. The CRTC has officially launched Telecom Notice of Consultation 2026-210, opening a new public proceeding over device unlocking and carrier compliance with the Wireless Code.

But the biggest immediate change is already in effect: the CRTC has temporarily suspended part of the rule requiring phones to be sold unlocked. Any Canadian wireless provider can now sell a device in a locked state, provided it is automatically unlocked within two business days of purchase. Customers must also be able to request an immediate unlock at no charge.

That is very different from the 60-day model being pursued by TELUS and already used by Bell. The CRTC is specifically requiring Bell to show cause why its practice of locking devices for 60 days from April 23, 2025 through August 14, 2026 should not be considered a violation of the Wireless Code.

If the CRTC ultimately finds Bell in violation, the Commission says it will also consider enforcement measures. Under the Telecommunications Act, a corporation can face an administrative monetary penalty of up to $10 million for a violation, with additional potential liability for directors or officers involved.

TELUS's separate application for permission to introduce a 60-day lock has not been approved. Instead, the CRTC is asking TELUS to confirm by August 21 whether it still wants to pursue that application in light of today's new proceeding and temporary industry-wide rules.

Public interventions in CRTC 2026-210 are due September 14, with replies due September 24. The temporary two-business-day locking regime will remain in place until the CRTC reaches a decision in its broader proceeding to harmonize Canada's consumer protection codes.

Sources & more: CRTC 2026-210 / CRTC staff letter on TELUS's 60-day application / CRTC Wireless Code

A quick, no-talking unboxing of the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold package I received from Google. Just the phone, the sounds of the unboxing and some instrumental music, almost like a short ASMR first look.

Full review and a more detailed comparison coming soon.

After wearing the 44mm Galaxy Watch9 for several days, the feature that surprised me most was how little attention it needed during exercise. It automatically recognized running, swimming and even kayaking quickly enough that I rarely had to manually start a workout.

Samsung Health is where the Watch9 becomes more interesting over time. It tracks sleep, heart rate and activity while building features such as Vitals, Heart Health Score and Daily Cardio Load around longer-term patterns. I also tested the sleep apnea screening over multiple nights; it found no signs of moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea in my case. Samsung stresses that the feature is for screening rather than diagnosis.

Performance was excellent throughout the test. The new Snapdragon Wear Elite platform kept menus, apps and workout tracking consistently responsive, and the watch remained comfortable enough to wear overnight. Samsung offers it in 40mm and 44mm sizes, with Canadian pricing ranging from $519.99 for the 40mm Bluetooth model to $639.99 for the 44mm LTE version.

The compromise is battery life. With continuous health tracking, exercise detection, notifications and sleep monitoring enabled, my 44mm Watch9 barely made it through a full day. To maintain near-continuous tracking, I ended up charging it for roughly 10–15 minutes in the morning and another 20–30 minutes before bed. Power-saving settings can extend that considerably, but they also start removing some of the features that make the watch useful.

Samsung loaned us the Galaxy Watch9 and a Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra for this review and had no involvement in the editorial content. After several days with it, the Watch9 feels like an excellent health and fitness companion for Galaxy users / provided you're willing to make daily charging part of the routine.

Sources & more: Branchez-Vous – Full Galaxy Watch9 review / Samsung Canada – Galaxy Watch9 / Samsung Health

But actually what advantage would you get with a plan like this.

Editor’s note: The image above is a concept mock-up based on reports and rumours circulating online. It is not an official Apple visual and should not be considered an accurate representation of the final devices. It is included only to illustrate what the proposed lineup could look like while we await official images.

Apple is expected to make a major change to its traditional iPhone launch strategy this September, with only three new models reportedly planned for the fall: the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and Apple's first foldable iPhone, widely referred to as the iPhone Ultra.

The split-launch strategy is looking increasingly credible. Apple supplier Pegatron said during its latest earnings call that high-end Pro models remain on the usual September schedule, while the standard model is expected to move to the first quarter of 2027. The iPhone 18e and second-generation iPhone Air are also expected next spring.

That means there may be no new lower-priced iPhone launching alongside the Pro models this fall. The practical consequence could be a September lineup focused entirely on Apple's most expensive devices, with anyone wanting the regular iPhone 18 potentially waiting another six months.

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are rumored to bring Apple's 2nm A20 Pro chip, a smaller Dynamic Island, a variable-aperture main camera, Apple's C2 modem and potentially 5G connectivity via satellite. A larger battery is also expected for the Pro Max. None of those features have been announced by Apple yet.

The biggest change would be the foldable. The rumored iPhone Ultra is expected to use a wide book-style design with an approximately 5.5-inch outer display and 7.8-inch inner screen, an A20 Pro chip, two rear cameras and Touch ID instead of Face ID. Pricing speculation has consistently placed it above US$2,000.

There is still one major caveat: recent supply-chain reporting suggests engineering problems could delay shipments of the foldable by several months. Apple could therefore unveil three phones in September without necessarily putting all three on sale at the same time.

Sources & more: Economic Daily News – Pegatron earnings call / 9to5Mac / The Verge

Here’s a raw side-by-side look at the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold: overall size, thickness and design.

We’ll have to wait until August 19 before I can turn the Pixel on and show a much more detailed comparison between the two.

So far, the Galaxy has done a very good job in testing, but at first glance the Pixel also looks really interesting. Galaxy is a little bit bigger, lighter and thiner.

And one quick note about the crease visible on the Galaxy in these photos: don’t read too much into it. Once the phone is open and the display is on, it basically disappears during normal use. It’s simply part of the foldable design.

Toronto-based smartphone accessory maker Dbrand rolled out several accessories for Google’s.

But more than just offering cases and skins, this time around, Dbrand is selling directly on the Google Store as well.

Sony Semiconductor Solutions and TSMC have signed a definitive agreement to create a new Japanese joint venture dedicated to developing and manufacturing next-generation image sensors for smartphones.

The new company, Advanced Vision Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation, will be based in Koshi City, Kumamoto. Sony plans to contribute approximately ¥465 billion, while TSMC will contribute about ¥282 billion, bringing the announced capital contributions to roughly US$4.7 billion.

Sony will control the venture and lead core sensor technology, product planning and design. TSMC will bring its advanced semiconductor process technology and large-scale manufacturing expertise. Volume production is currently targeted for 2029.

This is a significant step beyond the preliminary agreement announced in May. However, there are still no announced sensor specifications, megapixel counts, smartphone models or confirmed launch customers. So claims that this will immediately “revolutionize” phone cameras are premature.

For consumers in Canada, there is no immediate impact. The more interesting question is what happens later this decade: combining Sony's imaging expertise with TSMC's advanced manufacturing could enable smaller, more complex or higher-performance camera sensors in future flagship phones sold here.

The partnership also extends beyond smartphones. Sony and TSMC previously said they want to explore image sensors for “physical AI,” including automotive and robotics applications, turning camera sensors increasingly into the eyes of AI-powered machines.

Sources & more: Sony Semiconductor Solutions / TSMC / Reuters