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Tired of being ripped off by arrogant cable and satellite providers? IPTV could be your solution.

Are you sick of having to deal with Big Cable, paying through the nose for TV programming? Is there a better way to access TV channels, TV series and movies online?

Well, yes and no. There's a technology out there called IPTV, which stands for Internet Protocol Television, and it almost seems as if there are a million such companies out there offering such services – it really is kind of like the wild west! – and it can offer you live television channels, TV series and movies from all around the world.

And it's cheap, comparatively.

But you need to go in with your eyes open. I've been researching this piece for the better part of a year and my experiences have ranged from being quite satisfied with the service to being quite ripped off and, therefore, quite pissed off.

Ah, the old caveat emptor! Who'd have thought?

IPTV delivers television content to you over the internet instead of through a traditional cable or satellite hookup. So, the first thing you need to remember is that, unlike cable companies that'll bundle your internet and TV content into one humongous bill (depending on your plan, of course), you need to start by ensuring you have a decent internet provider.

And good luck with that!

Once that's taken care of, your IPTV user experience – if it works as planned – is pretty much like streaming to your Roku, or FireStick, or just your smart TV. In fact, you'll need a Roku or FireStick or smart TV (there are a few other streaming options as well) to access it.

Here's what actually happens: You purchase the IPTV service from a provider (they seem to call themselves "resellers") and, once your money has made it from you to them, they'll send you info and a link to a "playlist" along with login and password information. Then you need to download an app that acts as your player. more...

Think your apps are safe? It might be time to think again.

It has been said there's an app for virtually everything, from tracking how far you walk in a day to how you order what once would have been called a taxi. You can order groceries with apps, you can book your car into your favourite dealer with an app.

Apps, apps everywhere. It's all about convenience, we're told, and app pushers are known to offer carrots to customers who partake of their apps.

Of course, it's as much about app pushers getting consumers trained to use their apps – rather than someone else's – as a way to ensure customers keep using their services – rather than someone else's.

But what if the apps you're using are also using you? Is Big Brother rearing its ugly head under the guise of convenience?

It's probable that not all apps are problematic but, in my never humble opinion, anyone who trusts any bit of technology to be completely benign these days is being a little naive. And I may not be alone.

A  new study conducted by IT Asset Management Group out o New York State has named Instagram and Facebook as the worst for invasive apps, cited for collecting "the most sensitive info like physical address, device, and user ID."

IT Asset Management Group, according to the study's press release, is "a certified ITAD firm specializing in secure IT asset disposal and enterprise-grade IT equipment buyback"). Alas, their website doesn't work from my home unless I use a VPN, though their PR contact assures me from Italy that they're the real deal.

Anyway the study analyzed the privacy policies of over 5,000 apps available on the Apple app store. To determine which apps were the most egregious, they "created an index out of 100, based on 46 indicators including 35 types of data, six purposes for data collection, and five different types of user relationships. The level of privacy intrusion was measured by whether each data type is tracked and linked, tracked, linked, not linked or tracked, and not collected at all, with "tracked and linked" being the most intrusive." more...

LG's top new OLED TV offers a spectacular picture

If you want the best picture money can buy here at the end of 2025, you should head over to your LG dealer and take a look at its G5 OLED line. Available in screen sizes from 55 to a whopping (and really expensive!) 97 inches, it's a simply marvelous technology that has actually been around for decades but which has only come into its own over the past decade or so, with LG usually at or near the forefront of its development and marketing.

OLED TV's, as opposed to LCD and/or LED TV's, are different because each of its pixels is its own light source, so there's no back light or edge lighting needed like there is with "conventional" TV's. That means each pixel can turn on or off individually, or reproduce any colour that might be needed, on its own.

This allows for blacker blacks, whiter whites and richer colours. Sounds like a laundry detergent commercial, doesn't it? It also allows for excellent off axis performance, which could come in handy if people are seated all over your viewing room.

This bonus performance brings a premium price, but not nearly as much as in the old days. I remember seeing my first OLED TV years and years ago at a Sony retailer. It was a pitiful 12-inch screen and they were asking something like $2500 CAD for it at the time.

Technology marches on, and I've just had the pleasure of spending time with the 65-inch LG G5, which offers a picture so spectacular I was contemplating selling my grandchildren to keep it – though in my home theatre I'd be more at home with the 83 inch version that, if LG had sent it instead, I would have purchased a firearm to prevent from being sent back after my review. more...

Ford Bronco Sport gets upgrades and new trim levels for 2025

It was already a pretty nifty compact SUV, but after a refresh for the 2025 model year the Ford Bronco Sport is an even more interesting choice, thanks to upgrades inside and outside.

That includes a new trim level as well, one focused on off-road prowess: the Outer banks Sasquatch, which the company undoubtedly hopes will make a Bigfoot print in the market niche it occupies.

That's the trim level Ford Canada sent me to play with, and I must admit it's quite a bit of fun. I kind of laugh at the term "Sport" being used on this vehicle, because to me a sport denotation would include something like a sport mode for steering/suspension and the like – and a sport mode for the transmission.

Alas, none of those things appeared on Ford's sample Bronco Sport, so maybe it should be marketed as the Bronco "sport" instead…

The "Sport" is a smaller version of the Bronco, which I suppose helps contribute to the sport moniker it wears. It also offers a lot of off-road capability beyond its on-road performance.

The Outer Banks is the second highest trim level of the Bronco Sport, carrying a starting price of $45,890 CAD according to Ford's Canadian website. The base Big Bend level starts at $41,190, while the Heritage version kicks off at $45,190 and the top line Badlands starts at $51,690.

The Bronco Sport comes with Ford's three-cylinder 1.5 litre EcoBoost turbocharged engine mated to a decent eight-speed transmission with, as mentioned, no sport setting – not even the silly plus/minus buttons the company often uses instead of paddle shifters. If that power plant isn't enough for you, there's an optional two litre EcoBoost turbo (250 hp) four cylinder engine available on the Badlands version and that one will also give you paddle shifters. more...

Toyota adds hybrid option to its new generation of 4Runner

One of the original Japanese sport utility vehicles is back with a new edition, and it's a very nice step forward from the previous inSUVnation.

The 4Runner, which seems to have been around forever, has been a truck-based based SUV since day one (back then it was based on the Hilux, which is now the Tacoma) and it still manages to compete in a market dominated by the car-based units that make up the lion's share of today's SUV's.

This means the thing is nearly indestructible, as evidenced by the Toyota pickup Top Gear tried to kill unsuccessfully multiple times. That's a good thing in any vehicle, but it's especially important if you're leaving the beaten path and heading for the outback (no Subaru pun intended. Okay, it was…).

They also last forever, as evidenced by my son's 20-plus year old 4Runner Sport Edition that runs as well today as it did when he bought it used many years ago. more...

William Castle schlock horror classic finally comes to Blu-ray

Just in time to miss Halloween comes one of the great guilty pleasure horror movies, from the mind of one of the greatest showmen in Hollywood history.

It's House on Haunted Hill, the 1959 scream fest (whether they're screams of fright or giggles I'll leave up to you) that saw some theatres dragging a model skeleton across the top of the auditorium to up the fright (or delight) oomph to an outrageous high.

Vincent Price plays millionaire Frederick Loren who has decided to throw a party (with his wife, kind of) for a few select guests. The venue is, not surprisingly, the house on Haunted Hill, where in the past some unsolved murders had taken place. Naturally, weird things happen including people disappearing, people freaking out, you get the drill. more...

Searching for a classic film on 4K for Christmas? Here are two great examples

Two American classics top the list of 4K outings that might want to be on your holiday gift list – for someone else or even for yourself. Neither is a new film, but both are superb.

One of them, a newly released on 4K Oscar-winner for Best Picture (back when that meant something), helped to make Jack Nicholson a huge star, while the other – which has actually been out for a while now (but I just discovered the existence of the disc) – pairs John Wayne with long-time collaborator John Ford in what's generally considered one of their best outings: The Searchers.

Let's look at the new release first: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest won "all five major Academy Awards" (according to the press release), of Best Picture, Actor, Actress, screenplay and director. That's quite an accomplishment!

It's also the film that helped propel the careers of comparative newbies (back then!) Danny DeVito, Brad Dourif and Christopher Lloyd. more...

Ford's maverick Maverick is a compelling choice for those who don't need a "real" truck

When is a truck not really a truck?

Well, in the case of the Ford Maverick, it's right now. Though its name once referred to a compact car from the early 1970's, today's Maverick is a car-like truck that competes head-to-head with the original modern car-like truck – the Honda Ridgeline – and Hyundai's version called the Santa Cruz.

I haven't driven the Hyundai, but I have liked both the Maverick and the Ridgeline and, as a definitely non-truck guy, would consider both if ever I had to purchase such a beast.

Why? Because I hate how trucks drive, especially the full-size ones. But even small trucks like the Ranger, Tacoma et al generally leave me cold, because I'm a car guy and I don't like the way traditional trucks drive, bouncing around and chittering over frost heaves, etc. etc... It's heavy-duty utility I'd rather eschew for sportiness, etc. etc.

Besides driveability, I prefer the small trucks because they're easier for a person of short stature like me to get into and out of. more...

Warners releases a great F1 movie and some Nightmares on 4K disc

Brad Pitt's latest start turn turns out to be a pretty compelling racing movie, one of the better ones in a genre where great racing seems to be the exception rather than the rule.

I mean, in a Hollywood that brought us such excrement as 2001's Renny Harlin/Sylvester Stallone IndyCar film Driven (which as a diehard IndyCar fan I really, really wanted to love) and 1990's Tony Scott/Tom Cruise Days of Thunder, one can be forgiven for being suspicious.

On the other hand, there have certainly been some great racing flicks. John Frankenheimer's Grand Prix (1966) is probably the best racing film ever, with its Cinerama picture and fantastic racing sequences (all of which were done analogue, of course). Ron Howard's Rush was also a great entry and I enjoyed the game/simulator-based Gran Turismo as well. Even 1969's James Goldstone/Paul Newman outing Winning, which has the classic Indy 500 as its climactic race, deserves mention as a decent racing movie.

So, it was with more than a tad of angst I allowed myself to be dragged to the IMAX theatre last summer to see F1 the movie. more...

Ford being seduced by the dark side with its new Expedition

I think it's time to opine about distracted driving, yet again.

No, I'm not going to whine about drivers on their phones, or bad driving per se. This time. Besides, anyone who drives regularly should have noticed by now that driving skills appear to be on a serious downward slide.

No, I want to talk about car manufacturers who in their zeal to make their vehicles more relevant to the online generation (and perhaps avoid even more onerous regulations than they have to navigate already) are making their vehicles so complicated that it's getting nearly impossible to just drive rather than operating a big, upholstered smart device.

Case in point: the latest Ford Expedition. Now, I don't mean to slag Ford exclusively here because they're only one manufacturer and, to be fair, I've traditionally found them to be one of the best brands (of the ones I get to drive) for not beating its customers over the heads with ridiculous tech and overly complex interfaces.

Time was when Ford's Sync system was one of the easiest touch screen/instrument panel interfaces around. It was straightforward and it worked. Oh, it may not have offered all the stuff today's carmakers seem duty bound to cram into their offerings (or is it "cram down our throats?), but Ford seemed to recognize the difference between a vehicle and a smart phone. And they seemed to understand ease of use issues. more...

James Gunn's Superman updates the legend without destroying it

Has James Gunn saved the DC comics universe with his new Superman film?

Maybe. I do know that I liked it a lot more than I had feared (I feared I'd hate it, and I didn't).

Good Superman movies are hard to find. It can be argued, I suppose, that some of the Supes that have come along since 1978's exquisite Richard Donner version were okay, but every one of them have left me cold.  I had practically given up on seeing a good Superfilm again.

And the movie mostly eschews political correctness and "wokeness", with the most blatant bit being the casting of a black Perry White, which I actually thought was quite funny even though he doesn't have a lot to do. more...

Ready for a cell phone that doesn't sing and dance?

Tired of your smartphone and looking for something simpler and less intrusive, or that doesn't watch everything you do?

You may be the target market for Polish company Mudita's Kompakt, a so-called dumb phone.

The Kompakt, according to the original press release I received, is "a minimalist mobile phone designed to help users reclaim their focus and well-being. As digital distractions continue to grow, the Mudita Kompakt offers a streamlined, clutter-free experience that supports a more balanced lifestyle.  It's an ideal gift that helps users regain control of their time and becoming more present in life."

That means it doesn't offer stuff like a web browser, email and the like. But it does offer you a cell phone that will let you text, take pictures, play music, even play some games and partake of some lifestyle thingies that struck me as being warm and fuzzy nonsense, especially in a telephone. Naturally, your mileage may vary… more...

Kia's new K4 trades on its forte in the compact sedan market

It was once a Forte, apparently, but now Kia's lone gas-powered car in Canada – as opposed to a slew of SUV's – is a K4, and it sports a new set of clothes and lots of other stuff.

And while it won't go down in my book as one of my favourites, at least it isn't a K9! That would be "ruff!"

Anyway, bad car and dog jokes aside, Kia's latest kick at the small sedan market is an interesting beast and as a Kia fan I liked it, but I wish I'd liked it more.

I remember the Forte well. In fact, I rented the last generation of the car for a two-month period a couple of years ago when I was in Ottawa helping take care of my aging father. I really liked that car and if I'd been in the market at the time, it would have been on my short list.

Alas, my short list keeps getting shorter. more...

Mazda offers an interesting alternative to its CX-5

Mazda's CX-5 is a terrific SUV, fun and, depending upon how you configure it, more luxurious than you might expect. So why would the company introduce a new model to compete with itself?

Beats me. That said, however, either the CX-5 or the newer CX-50 are excellent choices if you're shopping in this market niche. The 50 is a bit lower and wider than the CX-5, as well as being bigger all-around, while looking a tad more aggressive in its styling.

Underneath, they're practically the same vehicle, so choosing one over the other may come down to personal preference (I prefer the look of the CX-50, though it's close). Both models apparently share the same platform, which is apparently the same one used by the exquisite Mazda 3.

Mazda's sample CX-50 wore the GS-L trim level, which is the lowest, and I have to admit I missed a lot of the higher end features. That said, the 50 still looks, feels and drives like a Mazda and that's always a very good thing.

Powering the GS-L version is Mazda's 2.5 litre "SkyactivG" inline four with cylinder deactivation (to save gas when you don't need all the "Zoom-Zoom") and i-Stop. more...

Ford Explorer continues to offer a compelling family SUV

It may not be an all-new version, but the 2025 Ford Explorer features a number of upgrades its maker undoubtedly hopes will continue to keep the vehicle relevant in a crowded marketplace.

One way Ford thinks they can do this is with what they call "The Ford Digital Experience infotainment system", which the company says lets drivers access their favourite apps and services through a "new integrated native experience", including from Google and Amazon, as well offering Apple CarPlay and Android Auto like just about everyone else does these days.

Ford says it's designed to allow "greater connection and personalization for our customers through profiles, content, and apps, helping make time behind the wheel more enjoyable, even when parked." more...

Minecraft movie makes little sense but looks and sounds great on 4K disc

Fans of the Minecraft video game have a new guilty pleasure to play with, as Warner Brothers has released the movie (well, "a" movie, according to the title) version of the extremely popular game.

My grandkids are Minecraft fans and I've watched them play the game many times. I've even tried my own hand at it, rather ineffectively. My biggest issue with the game is its lousy graphics and I admit I have trouble getting by that.

But most of my Minecraft angst came, I found out when I sat down with the boys and watched some of the "Making of" stuff that accompanies the movie on this new 4K disc release, because I had no idea what the heck was going on. All I saw was the kids building stuff and wandering around the virtual world that Minecraft lets them create. But there's apparently a lot more to it than that. more...

The best of the Connery Bonds hits 4K disc

If you're one of the many people who think Sean Connery was the best James Bond, you're in for a real treat with Warner Brothers' new 4k disc set of all the "official" Connery Bond movies.

By "official", I mean that Connery's second return to the franchise in Never Say Never Again, which was never acknowledged as a "real" Bond movie to my recollection (I liked it, though), isn't included in this set, which covers Connery's original outings as Agent 007 plus one when he returned to the franchise for one more kick at the cat (in this case, Blofeld's Chinchilla Persian…).

So here we have brand new 4K editions, scanned supposedly from the original camera negatives. They also feature new, remastered Dolby Atmos audio that sounds very good indeed, as well as the original audio in lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio format. more...

Mitsubishi's Outlander PHEV Noir tackles a mountain trip

What happens when you take a plug-in hybrid on a road trip far from any recharging stations?

Not much, as it turns out, except that you end up buying gasoline instead of electrons. And that's fine – it's really the secret weapon wielded by plug-in hybrids.

That's the upshot from my two-week adventure through the mountains of Alberta and British Columbia, with a side trip to the Home of the Brave: plug-in hybrids are great in the city if you don't want to buy that evil gasoline stuff – but away from charging stations they become just another car, SUV or truck.

And that's why, in my never humble opinion, hybrids – whether plug-in or not – are more practical than straight electric-only vehicles for people who venture far from their home bases.

My dear wife (as opposed to my other one…) and I had planned a trip to visit our son and daughter-in-law in Bellingham, Washington and then on to Vancouver Island to spend a couple of days with my brother and his wife in Victoria and my wife's cousin and his wife up the mountainside beyond Qualicum Beach.

Mitsubishi offered me the use of its Outlander PHEV for the trip, in top-of-the-line Noir trim. more...

Mickey 17's 4K dark comedy, Porschephiles' updated 911 tome, and Arizer's Solo gets an upgrade

"He's dying to save mankind."

Take an interesting take on the cloning (and MAID) issue, sprinkle in some dark humour and interesting situations, and you have Mickey 17, the latest offering from Oscar-winning director Bang Joon Ho.

Our hero – not surprisingly – is Mickey. He wants to get off Earth and have, as pitched in Blade Runner, "a chance to begin again."

Meanwhile, fans of Porsche's iconic masterpiece 911 have an updated edition of "The Complete Book of Porsche 911" to savour. This fourth edition of Randy Leffingwell's encyclopedia of my ultimate dream car retails for a whopping $80 in Canada but for that money you get so much 911 info that your head may spin. more...

Three Clint Eastwood classics receive excellent 4K adaptions

Warner Brothers has reached into its vaults and picked a trio of Clint Eastwood's most famous and honoured films to give the 4K disc treatment, and it really is a "treat"-ment worthy of note.

The films are Dirty Harry, Pale Rider and the Outlaw Josie Wales, one cop film and two westerns. Each of the films has received an exquisite transfer to 4K, including remastered sound that is worth the price of admission on its own.

Not only that, but the extras on each disc are also quite something; if you're an Eastwood fan, a movie buff, or a student of cinema, you'll probably find the stuff extremely interesting. Oh, some of it is repeated from feature to feature and disc to disc, but most of it isn't and it's well worth your time.

Dirty Harry, which was released in 1971, was a bit of a change of pace for Eastwood, who was known better as a guy who occupied westerns, from Rawhide on TV to the Man with No Name in Sergio Leone's "spaghetti westerns". more...

Ford Rangers offer some nifty versions of the compact pickup truck

If you happen to be looking for a compact pickup truck, Ford may be your huckleberry, thanks to its line of Rangers.

And judging from my couple of weeks in back-to-back Rangers, including the outrageous Raptor version, you just might think they have done it right.

Now, as my regular reader knows by now, I've opined many times that I am not the best person to be reviewing pickup trucks. This applies especially to full size pickups, but even the Rangers had me hopping out gingerly lest Parent Nature use her gravity powers to face plant me on the ground outside the truck. Still, ingress and egress were a lot better for me than in a big pickup and, thanks to the Rangers' running boards, my wife and I managed. more...

Electric cars the worst for depreciation – while used car values continue to soar

Can electric cars survive without taxpayer money? Should they?

Subsidies for EV's seem to be on their way out, which suits me just fine; they should sink or swim on their own, like evil gas-powered vehicles have to.

Subsidies or not, if you're thinking of getting an EV and want to keep it for a while, the folks at iSeeCars have some sobering news.

"Electric cars lose more value than any other vehicle type, dropping by nearly 60 percent after 5 years," says a new survey by the group. "This compares to only a 40 percent drop in value for trucks and hybrids, and an industry average of 45.6 percent across all vehicle types"

The survey notes that while the five-year depreciation of EV's is 58.8 per cent, trucks "only" lost value by 40.4 per cent, while SUV's lost nearly half their value (48.9 per cent) and hybrids were "down only" a tad more than as trucks, at 40.7 per cent. more...

Roger Corman's debut monster movie more guilty than guilty pleasure

Before there was an Audrey II, before there was the Raven and before there was a Wasp Woman there was the Monster from the Ocean Floor, Roger Corman's first foray into what became his signature style of cheap and/or exploitative popcorn movies.

Since then, Corman's name has become legendary, so perhaps this particular flick can be forgiven for its comparatively lackluster story and looked at as a forerunner to Corman's famed run of motion pictures. more...

Warners' new Christmas movie miss and old musical masterpiece hit hit 4K disc

Just in time for Easter, we get Red One, Warner Brothers' new Santa Claus-themed movie. And it could have been a really good Christmas flick, too. It has an interesting concept, a good cast, and excellent production values.

Alas, this movie about the search for a kidnapped Santa Claus (J. K. Simmons, who's mostly wasted here), never really decides if it's a Christmas movie or yet another comic book-like action-adventure special effects film. And that really works against it.

On the other hand, while the story of a long dead classical music composer may not sound like the stuff of which cinematic dreams are made, in the right hands it can be a compelling and highly enjoyable film. more...