Wireless plans in Canada are (finally) getting cheaper — or are they? A new federal government report shows progress on price cuts but the full picture is a bit more complicated.

What happened: The report tracked the price of relatively cheap “mid-range” wireless plans–those offering between 2GB and 6GB of data per month–offered by each of the three largest carriers. It found that the average nationwide price fell by 25% since February 2020.

• As of December 2021, the Big Three’s discount brands (Koodo, Virgin, and Fido) offered 2GB plans for $37.50, 4GB plans for $41.25, and 6GB plans for $45.
   
• However, analysis done of province-level data by The Peak shows that in Quebec, where plans were already cheaper, the average price for the most affordable mid-range plans actually rose slightly (from $40 in February 2020 to $41.25 in December 2021), driven by higher prices for 2GB plans.

Why it’s happening: The government claims that it increased competition by reserving parts of the wireless spectrum for smaller, regional telcos, thereby driving down prices.

• Some industry analysts have argued that growing competition from Shaw-owned Freedom Mobile has also played a key role in driving down costs.

But wait: Despite some plans becoming slightly more affordable, Canadian wireless prices are still significantly higher than most other G7 countries, particularly for plans that offer more data.

For example, the average price in Canada for a plan offering between 20 to 49GB of data is $91, while similar plans go for around $30-40 in the UK, Australia, and France.

Apple reported its best quarter ever—partly because they have a supply chain advantage.

Gotcha: After warning that supply issues (chip shortages) and the lingering effects of the pandemic would dent its holiday-quarter revenue, Apple actually grew sales by over 11% last quarter, beating sales estimates in every category but iPads.

• Almost 60% of Apple’s total revenue came from iPhone sales, which generated US$72 billion in the last quarter if 2021. 
   
• Macs had the strongest growth of any of Apple’s hardware lines, growing 25% over last year to $11 billion. 

Does this announcement save the day for markets? Not exactly. 

Reality check: Apple is the exception to the supply chain rules, since it can procure components relatively faster than rivals. 

• Apple’s high-end chips are a draw for chip makers. Semiconductor companies tend to give priority to big players with massive buying power and orders for more sophisticated (and expensive) chips. 

While Apple got better service on some orders, the company faced troubles with some of its older chips (like the ones found in iPads). 

Big Picture: Apple is showing how it pays to have enormous scale and buying power when supply chains break down. Even Elon Musk said supply chain challenges would continue limiting production this year for Tesla’s electric vehicles.

Apparently, Facebook has found a new way to make money from your face.

It’s not so much about your face as it is about the expressions on it—things like your pupil movements and nose scrunches are what Meta wants to harvest to create a virtual world of personalized ads, according to recent patents.

For many, this online ecosystem is the next step in the internet’s evolution.

Stepping back: The proposed tech may be used to create a digital replica of you (aka an avatar) in the metaverse that will not only look like exactly you, but act like you.

• A “wearable magnetic sensor system” mimics your movements.
   
• An “avatar personalization engine” replicates your face and its expressions. 

Why it matters: Facebook makes money by selling ads (remember Zuck’s “we run ads” statement at the 2018 Senate hearings) and the same will be true for the Metaverse.

• For instance, if Meta recognizes you’re attracted to the colour orange by tracking your pupils, the colours of the ads you start seeing might quickly start to change.
   
• Critics say quantifying users' habits, interests and appearances into data points auctioned off to the highest bidder is an exploitative practice. 

Zoom out: While the company said filing patents doesn't guarantee those technologies will be used, a new level of targeted ads could soon become a digital reality.

Eat: At the top of the The New York Time’s recipe list you’ll find extra-creamy scrambled eggs, using a technique that prevents them from setting up too firmly—for those who have hit their NYT limit, here’s another version.

Read: In The Art of Gathering, Priya Parker argues that the gatherings in our lives are lackluster and unproductive—but they don't have to be. In the age of Zoom, this book is a must-read for those looking to have more meaningful meetings. 

Watch: Inspired by the true story of a man and the therapist who took over his life; The Shrink Next Door stars Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd, who just wants to get better at boundaries. Watch the duo’s first foray into a serious series on Apple TV.

Listen: For anyone looking to dance around the house with a hair brush in hand this weekend, Danish pop star MØ has released her new album Motordome.

• Ukraine is preparing a partisan resistance that will operate behind Russian lines should Moscow order a full-scale invasion.
   
• With nearly $4 billion in venture funding raised last year, BC’s tech sector has made its mark on the Canadian startup scene. 
   
• A large convoy of truckers arrived in Ottawa to protest vaccine requirements for the industry.
   
• Arizona's auto aspirations might make the state an unlikely ally in Canada's EV tax-credit fight.
   
• Sobeys warehouse workers in Ontario have negotiated big wage bumps, including a full-time pay increase of 19.5 per cent over four years.

• What it’s like to go grocery shopping in Siberia.
   
• The most popular phone brands from 1992 to 2021, visualized. Surprisingly, another brand had an even larger and steeper fall than Blackberry.
   
• Lessons from a digital nomad living off $1,700 per month in Croatia.
   
• Take a journey inside the Diefenbunker, Canada’s Cold War-era last-stand nuclear bunker on the outskirts of Ottawa.
   
• Why nuclear-powered rockets may be the key to getting humans to Mars.