Month: December 2023

The secret life of gift cards: Here’s what happens to the billions that go unspent each year | CTV News

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Gift cards make great stocking stuffers — just as long as you don’t stuff them in a drawer and forget about them after the holidays. Americans are expected to spend nearly US$30 billion on gift cards this holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation. Restaurant gift cards are the most popular, making up one-third of those sales. Read full story here: The secret life of gift cards: Here’s what happens to the billions that go unspent each year | CTV News

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Creeping price points: A look at the rising cost of Canada’s streaming TV services | CTV News

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Streaming TV isn’t getting any cheaper. After it was once heralded as the cost-effective alternative to cable, the price of Canada’s streaming services is inching higher every year. And the story was no different in 2023 when inflation, production costs and efforts to turn a profit led many of the biggest names in the business to rework their subscription packages and jack up their rates. Read full story here: Creeping price points: A look at the rising cost of Canada’s streaming TV services | CTV News

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Governments can spy via smartphone push notifications, Apple and Google confirm | Mashable

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Well, here’s something you might have never considered: Your iPhone and Android device push notifications can be used by law enforcement or governments to spy on you. U.S. Senator Ron Wyden sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice with a concern that his office was attempting to investigate. According to Senator Wyden’s letter as first reported by Reuters, his office received a tip in the Spring of last year about how foreign governments were requesting push notification data from companies like Apple and Google. Read full story here:…

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Canadian 15-year-old students’ math scores have been dipping since 2003: study | CTV News

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Most 15-year-old students in Canada met the basic standards for math and the country was among the top 10 performers in the tests, though scores have been dropping since 2003, according to a new global report. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment’s (PISA) latest study focused on mathematics and also tested the reading and science knowledge and skills of 23,073 students in 867 schools from all 10 provinces in Canada. Read full story here: Canadian 15-year-old students’ math scores have been dipping since…

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Posthaste: 70% of Canadians don’t understand what the carbon tax costs them | Financial Post

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The federal government appears to have a perception problem: Most Canadians don’t understand what the carbon tax is costing them while others believe they are paying more than they receive in rebates, a new poll suggests. The federal government said nearly all households in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and the Atlantic provinces will receive a rebate on the fuel tax, as long as they filed their taxes, and that 80 per cent of households will earn more than they pay. Read full story here: Posthaste: 70% of Canadians don’t understand what the…

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