YouTube outage in Canada resolved: DownDetector
As of 4:08 p.m. EDT, the outage reports have dropped to just over 100, according to DownDetector.
Earlier in the day, more than 1,000 reports of outages were displayed on the real-time outage monitoring site, with 82 per cent related to the website and 16 per cent categorized as 'video streaming' issues.
A map on DownDetector's website showed clusters of reported outages in major metropolitan areas including Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, the Greater Toronto Area, the National Capital Region, Montreal and Halifax.
U.S. users also reported outages, according to DownDetector data, peaking at more than 5,000 reports at roughly 2:00 p.m. EDT Friday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
12 minutes ago
- CTV News
After repeated explosions, new test for Musk's megarocket
Elon Musk's SpaceX announced Friday that its Starship megarocket is scheduled to blast off on a new test flight next weekend after recent attempts have ended in fiery explosions. The biggest and most powerful launch vehicle in history is planned to return Americans to the Moon -- and is central to the dreams of colonizing Mars envisioned by Musk, the world's richest person. But repeated explosions that sent debris raining down over Caribbean islands and disrupted flights have piled pressure onto SpaceX to pull off a smoother trial run. The rocket's 10th test flight is set to launch as soon as August 24 from the company's Starbase facility in Texas, SpaceX said on its website. During two test flights earlier this year, the rocket's upper stage -- which is the spacecraft intended to carry crew and cargo -- erupted in fiery cascades not long after launch. Starship managed to make it to space during the last test in late May, however it then blew up when a fuel leak caused it to lose control. The rocket's propulsion system was also supposed to execute a planned splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico -- but it disintegrated before reaching the water. Standing 403 feet (123 metres) tall, the black-and-white behemoth is designed to eventually be fully reusable and launch at relatively low cost. SpaceX has been betting that its 'fail fast, learn fast' ethos -- which helped it dominate commercial spaceflight -- will once again pay off. But the latest string of setbacks, which also includes an explosion during a routine ground test in June, has raised serious questions about Starship's progress. Musk -- who is known for making extremely ambitious proposals -- maintains that the rocket will launch its first uncrewed missions to Mars next year. SpaceX has also been sharply criticized over the impact its launches have on people and the environment near where its rockets blast off. In June, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum threatened to sue SpaceX over falling debris and contamination from its launches. More Starship tests are expected in the coming months, however, after the U.S. aviation regulator approved the number of its annual launches increasing from five to 25.
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Solar panels that fit on your balcony or deck are gaining traction in the U.S.
When Terrence Dwyer received a knock on his door and a flyer for a solar panel system small enough to fit on his deck, he was quickly sold. Solar systems that plug into regular wall outlets have been popular in Europe for years and are gaining traction in the U.S. for their affordability and simple installation. 'We thought absolutely, let's do this right away,' said Dwyer, who lives in Oakland, California. These small-scale solar systems could become attractive to more homeowners now that President Donald Trump's sweeping budget-and-policy package will scrap residential rooftop solar tax credits and may shift interest to cheaper alternatives. Even before the GOP bill passed, manufacturers of the smaller systems known as plug-in or balcony solar were seeing increased demand and other positive signs such as a new Utah law streamlining regulations for homeowners to buy and install them. The systems about the size of a door haven't been as widely adopted in the U.S. as in Europe because of lack of awareness, patchwork utility rules and limited availability. The US$2,000 plug-in solar system installed on Dwyer's backyard deck in March consists of two 400 watt panels, an inverter, a smart meter and a circuit breaker. It saves him around $35 per month on his power bill because he is consuming less energy from the grid, but he said reducing his carbon footprint was his primary motivation. 'We like the environmental benefits of solar and wanted to engage with solar in some fashion,' Dwyer said. Had Dwyer opted for rooftop solar, he would have paid $20,000 for the system and $30,000 to upgrade his roof to support the panels. Installing a plug-in solar system requires some homework. What power companies let customers do with energy-generating equipment varies, which is why prospective purchasers should check their utility's policies first. Building permits might be required depending on the municipality. Some systems can be self-installed, while others may require an electrician. For example, some kits have meters that must be wired into a home's circuit breaker. Removing hurdles for plug-in solar Dwyer bought his system from Bright Saver, a nonprofit company in California that advocates for plug-in solar. In addition to the type Dwyer bought, the company also offers a smaller model costing $399 that recently sold out in six days. 'The interest and demand have been overwhelming,' said Cora Stryker, a founder of Bright Saver. 'It is clear that we are hitting a nerve — many Americans have wanted solar for a long time but have not had an option that is feasible and affordable for them until now.' Kevin Chou, another founder of Bright Saver, said wider adoption of the systems in the U.S. has been hindered by utility policies that create uncertainty about whether they're allowed and a lack of state and local policies to make clear what rules apply. Some utilities contacted by The Associated Press say plug-in solar systems require the same interconnection applications as rooftop panels that send electricity back to the wider network. But Steven Hegedus, an electrical engineering professor at University of Delaware, said he doesn't understand why a utility would need to require an interconnection agreement for plug-in solar because, unlike rooftop systems, they are designed to prevent energy from flowing to the grid. Still, if in doubt, a customer should follow their utility's policy. During the early days of plug-in solar's growth, some opposition from utilities is likely since customers are buying less energy, said Robert Cudd, a research analyst at the California Center for Sustainable Communities at the University of California, Los Angeles. 'Utilities really prefer everyone being a predictable and generous consumer of the electricity they sell,' Cudd said. This year, Utah enacted a novel law supporting plug-in solar by exempting certain small-scale systems from interconnection agreements and establishing safety requirements such as being certified by a nationally recognized testing organization such as Underwriters Laboratories. It appears to be the only state that's passed legislation supporting plug-in solar, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Republican state Rep. Raymond Ward, who sponsored the legislation, said the smaller systems allow people to better manage where their energy comes from and what they pay. 'Europe has these things. You can go buy them and they work and people want them. There is no reason why we shouldn't have them here in the United States,' Ward said. Bright Saver says they are lobbying other states for similar legislation. Alexis Abramson, dean of the University of Columbia Climate School, also applauded Utah's move. 'We actually need more localities, more states putting in allowances for this type of equipment,' she said. Plug-in solar availability and savings potential Some questions remain about how much customers could save. Severin Borenstein, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley's Haas School of Business, said the cost of some portable solar systems in the U.S. would make it hard for customers to come out ahead on their utility bills over the time they own them. He estimates the price of a $2,000 system in the U.S. works out to paying about $0.20 a kilowatt-hour over a 25-year period, which only saves people money if they have high utility costs. By comparison, Borenstein said the cost of systems sold in Europe, typically around $600, is equivalent to paying about $0.05 or $0.06 per kilowatt-hour over 25 years. Baltimore resident Craig Keenan said saving money was only part of why he installed one of the smaller Bright Saver models on his balcony in July. 'I'm interested in renewable energy because the amount of carbon emissions that we produce as a species is very, very unsustainable for our world,' he said. He said he expects the system will save him about $40 per year on utility bills, so it would take him about 10 years to recoup the cost of the kit. Keenan, a mechanical engineer, said installation took him 10 to 15 minutes. 'I think anyone can install this,' he said. 'It's not complicated. It doesn't require a technical degree.' Other companies selling plug-in solar kits include Texas-based Craftstrom. It has sold about 2,000 systems in the U.S. since 2021, mostly in California, Texas and Florida. The company's basic kits contain a solar panel that can fit in a backyard or other sunny space, along with equipment to maintain and regulate the flow of energy including an inverter and smart meter. Kenneth Hutchings, Craftstrom's chief revenue officer, said their U.S. sales rose this year even before the passage of the GOP tax bill, and he expects demand for plug-in solar to increase further as federal rooftop solar credits expire. The company advises customers to notify their power company before installation, but it has 'never had any pushback from any utility,' said Michael Scherer, one of the founders of Craftstrom. China-based EcoFlow plans to begin selling plug-in solar systems in Utah and expand to other states if supportive legislation is passed, said Ryan Oliver, a company spokesperson. 'This is an example of where technology is sort of ahead of the regulators,' Oliver said, adding: 'As this rolls out to more of a nationwide product, we expect it will become more mainstream as people understand it better.' ___ Associated Press video journalist Mingson Lau in Baltimore contributed to this report. Isabella O'malley, The Associated Press
National Post
4 hours ago
- National Post
Proposed national class action filed against Amazon for breaching privacy of Alexa users
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Lawsuit from Charney Lawyers alleges Alexa products have collected more personal data from Canadian users than Amazon has disclosed An Amazon Echo, a compact smart speaker with Alexa that can play music, retrieve news and weather and control smart home devices. Photo by Luke MacGregor / Bloomberg A proposed class action lawsuit has been filed in the B.C. Supreme Court against Amazon over its Alexa technology. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Unlimited online access to National Post. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ARTICLES Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Unlimited online access to National Post. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors The lawsuit, submitted by B.C. law firm Charney Lawyers, alleges that Alexa products have collected more personal data from Canadian users than Amazon has disclosed. It also alleges that the tech giant retained the information, even when users tried to delete it, using it for business purposes such as training artificial intelligence and developing targeted advertising. The class action was filed in B.C., on behalf of representative plaintiff, Joseph Stoney, but its aim is to be national in scope. If the class action is certified by the court, it would cover all Canadian residents who had an Amazon Alexa account between 2014 and July 19, 2023. Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again 'Had they learned about this after signing up for Alexa, users would have discontinued their accounts,' the statement of claim asserts. The essence of the lawsuit is the allegation that Amazon failed to obtain meaningful, informed consent for retention and use of this data. As a result, the alleged data collection and use breached both privacy and consumer protection laws in Canada. 'In its terms of service Amazon made explicit commitments to Alexa users regarding their privacy. However, rather than protecting users privacy, Amazon: (1) kept the data it took from Alexa indefinitely; (2) used that data to train its algorithms, machine learning programs and AI; and (3) failed to fully delete the data when customers asked it to.' The suit sets out that since 2014, Amazon has been developing and selling Amazon 'Echo' devices, which are controlled by its cloud-based voice assistant, Alexa. Alexa can activate intentionally or accidentally, the claim says. Once Alexa begins streaming audio to the cloud, the audio interaction is transcribed to text, the lawsuit states. Then it is processed by an algorithm that instructs the Alexa how to respond to the user. If a request has been processed, a copy of the audio file, the transcription, the resulting instructions to Alexa, and any associated metadata is stored in an Amazon database, the claim alleges. Prior to 2020, users had no way to delete Alexa interaction-related data, and it was stored indefinitely, says the claim. And even though Amazon introduced a deletion function in 2020, it adds, Amazon only deleted the audio file, while retaining a transcription, the instructions, and associated metadata. 'When a user chose to delete the data on one or more of their interactions with Alexa, Amazon changed what was visible to the user so that it appeared that the interactions had been completely deleted even though Amazon was actually retaining everything except the audio file,' the claim says. This advertisement has not loaded yet. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Charney Lawyers also argues that some of this data may have been collected accidentally when Alexa mistook regular sounds for its 'wake word.' This means conversations users never intended for the device might have been picked up, transcribed and saved. The claim notes that in May 2023, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a complaint against Amazon, alleging the company falsely represented that Alexa app users could delete voice recordings, transcripts and metadata. And instead, Amazon allegedly only deleted voice recordings, keeping transcripts and associated metadata. In July 2023, Amazon agreed to pay a US$25-million fine and 'effectively admitted to a number of instances of unlawful data misuse.' The suit seeks damages, repayment of any profits Amazon gained from the use of the data, as well as repayment of the amount users paid for Alexa products and services. For potential participants in the suit, there is a registration page set up by Charney Lawyers for people who want updates or to potentially take part in the action. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.
