Edward Kiledjian

Competition is a wonderful thing for consumers and nowhere is this more needed than in the Canadian telecommunication business. Videotron has been a wonderful addition to the Quebec market forcing the BIG 3 (Rogers, Bell and Telus) to respond quickly by offering much more competitive plans [than they would normally].

Videotron has introduced 2 new all you can talk Canada Wide plans. These plans include all of the usual suspects including Voicemail, CallerID, Text Messaging and Canada wide calling. The only difference between the 2 is the amount of monthly data : 1GB or 6GB ($59.95 and $79.95 respectively).

You can read the details or sign up here. 

The fine reporters at Android Police seem to have found (what is claimed to be) the service manual for the purported upcoming 2013 Nexus phone. Based on the provided information, the device will be produced by LG and come with a vanilla Android operating system (Pure Android Experience). 

The original article on Android Police has removed the above image at the request of LG  (add tense movie music now).

Here are the purported specs for this device:

• 4.95" display
• 2GB RAM
• 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor
• 8 megapixel (MP) rear camera
• 1.3 megapixel (MP) front facing camera
• up to 32GB of internal storage (no memory card slot) 
• Near Field Communication capabilities (NFC) 
• Wireless Charging
• 2,300 mAh battery

You can read the service manual on SCRIBD here. 

Most sites have been calling this upcoming device the Nexus 5 but it will more likely be called the Nexus 4 (2013 edition).

Apple's iTunes Radio is far from revolutionary and often feels like a "me too" product competing with Slacker, Songza, etc. What makes it so interesting is that it is a free service already built into your device's operating system. 

Like most Apple services, iTunes Radio launched in the US first but Eddy Cue, Apple SVP, has previously said that eventually it will launch in 100 countries but when will we get it in Canada?

Late last week, Apple had a job posting looking for 2 iTunes Radio programmers for Canada.  

"Execute the programming of iTunes Radio in Canada, merchandising new releases and other feature content across multiple radio stations; Update radio featuring daily, identifying new songs, chart gainers, and priority releases, as well as highlighting library content and showcase depth of catalogue; Work with management in Canada and Cupertino to determine local and global priorities relevant to iTunes Radio; Manage the weekly scheduling and programming process, including measuring stream counts, ensuring each station represents the most current and compelling music offering; Collaborate with other editorial programmers on cross content initiatives and promotions. Communicate regularly with the Marketing and Sales team in Canada to coordinate new release and sales based priorities."

The above posting is a fairly strong indication that iTunes Radio is coming to Canada sooner rather than later which hopefully means they managed to sign all the label agreements needed to bring the service up north.

Since these job postings caught the world's attention, Apple has since made the postings more generic by removing all references to iTunes Radio and it now looks more like a generic Canadian iTunes editor. 

Here is hoping we get it before the holiday season.

VoIP is a fantastic way to freely (or cheaply) connect to friends and family flung across all 4 corners of the world. But even with all of the technological advances made in recent years, VoIP calling is not pleasant and comes with dozens of gotchas:

• Does the person use the same VoIP platform?
• Does the person have the VoIP app open? 
• Many apps have poorly implemented codecs which lead to bad voice quality and the sound cutting-in and out

Facetime (implemented in IOS 6) was a fantastic way to keep in touch with family and friends. As long as both parties had Apple products (which is common) the technology was extremely well designed and integrated into the OS. It made video calling as friction-less as possible and dare I say it, enjoyable.

Now Apple is leveraging that Facetime technology to bring high quality and reliable VoIP calling to its customers. Did I mention this is being offered for free? 

Why now? 

It is much easier to build a VoIP (voice) app than a video chatting one.  Video introduces many more technological challenges which means it is often introduced after an initial voice offering. Why did Apple do video first?

Facetime audio is a free and better alternative to traditional cell phone voice calling. It doesn't require minutes, it doesn't need long distance charges and the quality is immeasurably better than that of a traditional cell call. 

When Apple released iMessage , it cost the carriers millions in lost SMS fees. Now Facetime audio may impact their only remaining cash cow, minute charges. Apple probably had to do some convincing of the major players before unleashing it into the world.

The Facetime audio revolution

Just like most iPhone users switched from SMS to iMessage, I expect most of them to jump from traditional calling to Facetime Audio (eventually). 

I know many Android fans will claim Google has had voice conferencing for a while, but [ as a user of both platforms] Apple's implementations are always cleaner and easier to use. Apple's Facetime is embedded into the base OS which means there is no need to start the app, no need to create another account, download another app or learn a new tool. It works like every other Apple tool, right out of the box.

Not only is it easy to use but the call quality is incredible. It sounds even better than HD Voice (which very few north american carriers support anyway). Once you use it, going back to regular cell phone conversations feels like you are talking into a can.

Facetime makes IOS sticky

Facetime is one of those technologies that "traps" users and prevents them from switching platforms. I often consider switching my primary device to an Android one but most of my friends, family and contacts are on iPhone which means losing Facetime, iMessage, Photostreams, etc is too painful.

Facetime will keep iPhone users married to the ecosystem...  

Along with the new iPhone 5s, Apple released a lot of leather covered iPhone 5s cases being sold for around $US30. (depending where you are). But with all the case options available to consumers, is it even worth considering?

The case itself is beautifully built. It is leather covered on the outside, microfier covered on the inside and reinforced with a plastic skeleton in between. Unlike most cases, this looks premium and feels premium.

The leather is smooth and clean masterfully molded without any seams. The Apple logo on the back of the case lines up with the logo on the device perfectly. To push your iPhone into it requires a little bit of push but once installed, it feels like a glove. It doesn't move, wobble or bend. It is obvious that this was designed to fit perfectly with this phone.

Every button and interface lines up perfectly. A friend of mine, lucky enough to get an iPhone 5s on release date but foolish enough to test the drop resistance of the phone with this case on ceramic proved just how incredible this case is. He performed multiple drops from 6 feet on commercial ceramic tile and the case kept the device perfectly intact. No scratches, nicks or bumps. The case took the brunt of the falls so your phone doesn't have to. Clearly this case will keep your device safe during everyday "normal" use.

The Caveats

There are only 2 negative comments I can make and these are the same comments I make fore most smartphone cases: 

• The lightning dock opening is big enough for any lightning cable but won't allow you to use it with a dock. Since the case is so snug, it is not practical to install and remove it frequently
• The headphone jack opening is large enough for the standard Apple headphones. It also worked well with many of my headphones from Shure, Etymotic, Sony, Bose, etc but some of the devices with larger plug coverings won't fit

Verdict

If you can accept the 2 caveats listed above, this is a truly fantastic case that looks and feels as premium as your iPhone 5s. I have never understood why people protect a $800 phone in a cheap $5 plastic case, so now Apple gives you a great option.

I say buy it.

We expect an iPad Mini 2 announcement sometime in October and as the clock ticks, we get more and more leaks confirming the rumors. Chinese site DoNews has posted pictures of a champagne color ipad 2 with a TouchID sensor.

Nothing in these photos is too far fetched and we believe them to be authentic but I have to remind everyone that nothing can be confirmed in the world of Apple until Tim Cook holds it in his arms and proclaims it law. These could be fake or prototypes but they could also be the real thing.

Sony Dickson, who seems to usually get it right, also tweeted this:

We expect Google to release the next Nexus phone (possibly called the Nexus 5) October 14 and typically these companies tend to one up each other so expect the Apple event sometime after this date (possibly as early as October 15). 

I have been using Evernote for a couple of year now and love how it organizes and makes my information accessible everywhere. A year ago they started collaborating with "old world" products like Moleskine  making it easy for users of these popular product to digitize information written to them. 

Now they push the envelope even further with the release of the latest update which allows you to snap a picture of a 3M Post-IT note and then have it automatically categorized based on the color of the Post-It.  To accomplish this feat of engineering, they added a new option to the Evernote app's camera feature

You can go from one camera mode to another simply by swiping left or right. 

3M has released a new four-color pack of Post-It notes with the Evernote emblem on it. You can configure each color to perform some different automatic actions: set an alarm, add a particular tag or file in a particular notebook (or all of the above). 

And of course Evernote will run the scan through its Optical Character Recognition engine to make it searchable.

Source:

Evernote Blog 

3M Post-IT Evernote product page 

I know you are really hoping for a retina equipped iPad mini but industry rumors aren't pointing in that visually appealing direction. Most unnamed industry insiders believe the retina iPad mini will only be released next year, so what will Apple's next mini iteration bring?

It's a safe bet to assume it will cone in the same form factor we know and love but will pack: 

• a TouchID sensor
• a 64-bit A7 chip
• same color combinations as the iPhone 5s

Indeed leaked parts we have seen coming from China seem to show a ring around the home button which would indicate a TouchID sensor. Why would Apple jump from the A5 processor (powering the current crop of iPad minis) to the A7? simple... Apple wants to quickly change its mobile ecosystem to a 64-bit environment and is willing to bite the bullet and add it to almost everything it can. 

My biggest gripe with the iPad mini is the lack of retina display and simply adding this would entice most users to invest in the newer device but we aren't hearing any rumors of a 7.9" retina display being manufactured by any of the usual suspects. It is possible Apple has locked down the information and will shock everyone with a retina display but that looks like a very faint possibility way out in the future.

However if they manage to pack an A7, TouchID, slightly better battery performance, multi-band LTE and a retina display, I'll pre-order a device now.

Apple doesn't pre-announce launch events to early but most of us expect the announcement sometime around mid October.  

Right now, I wouldn't buy a Macbook Pro, iPad or iPad mini. Wait until mid-October to see what uncle Tim brings right before the holiday shopping period.

Because we all know "Gold is best". 

There is an app on the Google Play store that claims to offer iMessage functionality to Android users. The app comes from a developer named Daniel Zweigart . Apple typically isn't forgiving and I am fairly confident Cuppertino lawyers are gearing up as you read this.

Some users on Twitter claim the app actually works.  

WORD OF WARNING - There is a very strong possibility that this app is harvesting your Apple ID and password. I recommend not using this with any Apple ID tied to a credit card.

You can download it here. 

Expect this app to get pulled and Apple to find a way to kill it technically quickly.

The South China Morning Post is reporting that China will unblock some [primarily] US internet services (that are considered politically sensitive) from within the Shanghai free-trade zone.

The government is opening up these sites to allow foreign workers to "live and work happily in the free-trade zone". The hope is that opening up these sites will make the free-trade zone more interesting to foreign companies (in addition to attractive regulations, taxation and limited control). 

Newly available sites are Facebook, Twitter and NY Times.

Source: South China Morning Post 

Trading of Blackberry shares have been halted as the company announces that it has signed a Letter of Intent to sell the company to a financial consortium lead by Fairfax financial.

Each shareholdr will receive $9 in cash per share.

The press release: 

BlackBerry Enters into Letter of Intent with Consortium led by Fairfax Financial

- BlackBerry shareholders would receive U.S. $9 per share in cash - Transaction valued at approximately U.S. $4.7 billion - Consortium permitted 6 weeks to conduct due diligence - BlackBerry entitled to go-shop during due diligence period, subject to payment of a termination fee in the event alternative offer accepted

WATERLOO, ONTARIO, Sep 23, 2013 (Marketwired via COMTEX) -- BlackBerry Limited BBRY -5.67% CA:BB -6.61% today announced it has signed a letter of intent agreement ("LOI") under which a consortium to be led by Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited ("Fairfax") has offered to acquire the company subject to due diligence.

The letter of intent contemplates a transaction in which BlackBerry shareholders would receive U.S. $9 in cash for each share of BlackBerry share they hold, in a transaction valued at approximately U.S. $4.7 billion. The consortium would acquire for cash all of the outstanding shares of BlackBerry not held by Fairfax. Fairfax, which owns approximately 10 percent of BlackBerry's common shares, intends to contribute the shares of BlackBerry it currently holds into the transaction.

The BlackBerry Board of Directors, acting on the recommendation of a special committee of the board of directors (the "Special Committee"), approved the terms of the LOI under which the consortium, which is seeking financing from BofA Merrill Lynch and BMO Capital Markets, would acquire BlackBerry and take the company private subject to a number of conditions, including due diligence, negotiation and execution of a definitive agreement (the "Definitive Agreement") and customary regulatory approvals.

The Special Committee, chaired by Director Tim Dattels, was formed in August 2013 to review strategic alternatives for the company. J.P. Morgan and Perella Weinberg are acting as financial advisors and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Torys LLP are acting as legal advisors.

Diligence is expected to be complete by November 4, 2013 ("Diligence Period"). The parties' intention is to negotiate and execute a definitive transaction agreement by such date. During such period, BlackBerry is permitted to actively solicit, receive, evaluate and potentially enter into negotiations with parties that offer alternative proposals ("Alternative Transactions").

If (A) during the Diligence Period (i) BlackBerry enters into any letter of intent or definitive agreement providing for an Alternative Transaction, (ii) BlackBerry ceases to negotiate with the consortium in good faith with a view to entering into the Definitive Agreement by the end of the Diligence Period, or (iii) an Alternative Transaction is publicly proposed or publicly announced and is consummated within 6 months following the end of the Diligence Period, or (B) during the 3 month period following the end of the Diligence Period, BlackBerry enters into any agreement providing for an Alternative Transaction with a person with whom discussions were held before or during the Diligence Period, then BlackBerry shall pay Fairfax a fee of U.S. $0.30 per BlackBerry share, provided, however, that no such fee shall be payable if the consortium shall have reduced the price offered below U.S. $9.00 per share without the approval of the board of directors of BlackBerry. In the event that a definitive agreement is signed with Fairfax the termination fee will increase to U.S. $ 0.50 per share.

Barbara Stymiest, Chair of BlackBerry's Board of Directors, said: "The Special Committee is seeking the best available outcome for the Company's constituents, including for shareholders. Importantly, the go-shop process provides an opportunity to determine if there are alternatives superior to the present proposal from the Fairfax consortium."

Prem Watsa, Chairman and CEO of Fairfax, said: "We believe this transaction will open an exciting new private chapter for BlackBerry, its customers, carriers and employees. We can deliver immediate value to shareholders, while we continue the execution of a long-term strategy in a private company with a focus on delivering superior and secure enterprise solutions to BlackBerry customers around the world."

In addition to the consortium and its lenders being satisfied with all aspects of the due diligence to be carried out by them during the Diligence Period and the negotiation and execution of a binding definitive agreement approved by the board of BlackBerry, completion of the transaction will be subject to other customary conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that due diligence will be satisfactory, that financing will be obtained, that a definitive agreement will be entered into or that the transaction will be consummated.

BDT & Company, LLC, BofA Merrill Lynch and BMO Capital Markets are acting as financial advisors, and Shearman & Sterling LLP and McCarthy Tetrault LLP are acting as legal advisors to Fairfax in connection with the transaction.

About BlackBerry

A global leader in wireless innovation, BlackBerry(R) revolutionized the mobile industry when it was introduced in 1999. Today, BlackBerry aims to inspire the success of our millions of customers around the world by continuously pushing the boundaries of mobile experiences. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, BlackBerry operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. BlackBerry is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market BBRY -5.67% and the Toronto Stock Exchange CA:BB -6.61% . For more information, visit www.blackberry.com.

Forward-looking statements in this news release are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used herein, words such as "plan", "target", "will", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "should", "intend", "believe", and similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by BlackBerry Limited in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that BlackBerry believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Many factors could cause BlackBerry's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including those described in the "Risk Factors" section of BlackBerry's Annual Information Form, which is included in its Annual Report on Form 40-F (copies of which filings may be obtained at www.sedar.com or www.sec.gov). These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on BlackBerry's forward-looking statements. BlackBerry has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Everyone was wondering how many iPhones Apple actually sold over the device's launch weekend and now we know: 9 million devices. The 9 million is a combination of both devices (iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s). 

Last year's iPhone 5 launch saw 5 million devices so the increase is considerable.  

Apple has confirmed what we already knew, that the initial inventory of iPhone 5s' is now completely sold out. They also announced that IOS 7 is already running on 200 million devices. 

Whether you like Apple or hate them, there is no denying the launch was a massive success.

You can read the Apple press release here.

There are many reasons why you may need temporary cell phone service and would prefer to get it without any paperwork (aka a burner phone service). So who provides this type of service, a company called ReadySim which is owned by a Canadian company called Roam Mobility. I have written about Roam Mobility before and love their service so I was intrigued when I heard about this particular service with a more privacy oriented slant.

Without delay, here is my review of the ReadySim cell phone service. 

The Service

The ReadySim service looks very much like the plans offered directly under their Roam Mobility banner:

• Talk and text
• Talk, text and data 

You can choose talk and text plans for 3, 7, 14  & 30 days. 

You can choose talk, text and data plans for 7, 14 & 30 days. 

When you compare their prices to other pre-paid no-contract providers in the USA, they are very competitive. What really sets these SIMs apart is that they are truly grab and go. IT is completely anonymous which means they never ask for a name, ID, telephone number or email address. You buy the SIM and self-activate it. When your chosen service plan expired, you simply throw the SIM away.

When you click the buy button, you are taken to an Amazon.com page where you can acquire the service. It seems to come only in one size but Amazon has a SIM card + SIM cutter combo offer. 

"Our micro SIM is a re-plug able SIM that can be used as micro or standard size" - ReadySim. This means you can use the SIM in any device that doesn't require a nano -SIM (iPhone 5, 5s, MotoX, etc). Althougn they don't offer a nano-SIM yet, they do say [on their support page] "Official Nano SIMs are not yet available however if you order a SIM through our official Amazon store, you can send us a message through you Amazon account and request that we cut the SIM for your before shipping. "

Using the service

To use the service, you simply insert it into an unlocked GSM phone and text a ZIP code to 7850. The service then responds with your phone number (located in the ZIP you provided), and the expiration date of your service.

If you buy a plan with data, you have one additional step where you configure the APN for data access on your phone. It takes 30 seconds on most Android and iphones. All info is included in the SIM package. 

You can find the APN configuration instructions here.

All plans offer unlimited talk within the US, unlimited international text messaging, and voicemail. Because there is no cash balance or top-up system, international outgoing calls are not permitted but all incoming calls are accepted.

When I tested the Roam Mobility SIM service for Canadians travelling to the US, one of my major complaints was the fact that there was no way for me to monitor my data usage. For the Roam Mobility service, I had to email their support team who typically responded with my usage within a couple of hours. There is no way to monitor data usage with the ReadySIM service yet. They actually confirm this on their support page:

"There is currently no way to monitor your data usage, but we are working on a fix for that. "

I recommend downloading Onavo Count and monitoring your usage that way. 

The Network

 Like the Roam Mobility service, their ReadySim offering uses T-Mobile’s nationwide GSM network which supports HSPA+ at up to 21 MB down. This is where you may have a slight issue through. T-Mobile has started adding 1900MHz HSPA+ service to its network in key locations but it isn’t available everywhere.  Unless your device supports the AWS bands, you may hit areas where the only data speeds you’ll get are EDGE (which is very very slow at 80-120kpbs).

With an AWS compatible phone, I have been able to get 8-10MB down speeds with the T-Mobile network.

About privacy

Although ReadySIM is a no-contract and no-registration service, they must still follow US laws. If the Edward Snowden leaks have thought us anything, it is that everything is logged. Remember that ReadySim still keeps meta-data about every SIM used on their network (destination/source of calls, duration, frequency, sites visited when using data, etc). With the right court paperwork, law enforcement can subpoena this information.

The above is applicable to all US carriers and ReadySim actually affords you additional privacy [compared to other carriers] by not requiring registration. 

Verdict

As a Canadian, I still stick to their Roam Mobility US roaming service for Canadians but recommend that international travelers [to the USA] seriously consider this service. It is easy to use, very price competitive and it’s easy to keep a couple of SIM stored and ready for last minute travel.  

I have looked at most of the pre-paid offerings for travelers to the US and this is the only I recommend. 

You can check their website for more information here. 

Related Articles: 

 ROAM MOBILITY OFFERS COMPETITIVE US ROAMING FOR CANADIANS

 DOUBLE YOUR MONTHLY 3G OR LTE ALLOWANCE FOR FREE

 REAL WORLD TESTING AND REVIEW OF THE ROAM MOBILITY SERVICE

I have spoken to contacts in various countries and all have confirmed that ship times for Apple's iPhone 5s have been pushed to October.

It seems Gold was the most limited color and Korean parts suppliers confirm that Apple has ordered a production increase for it. It is too early to determine why shipping times are being pushed:

1. It could be that demand was extremely high
2. It could be that the initial inventory of the 5s was very small due to production challenges related to the fingerprint sensor

It looks like the iPhone 5c is still available in all colors immediately.

Apple likely won't break down sales numbers by device so we won't know how well the iPhone 5c sold but it is safe to say the 5s was the main attraction. 

Based on all the leaks and the golden nugget Google provided in its Android KitKAt statue launch ceremony, enterprising fans are building models of what they expect the device to look like.

This model is a very close match to the device we saw in the kitkat launch video. 

The Reddit user Annihilia went a step further and built a digital 3D model you can interact with.  You can see the model here.

Like many tech enthusiasts, I was excited when Apple announced it’s iPhone 5 but want to wait and see what Google will offer with its Nexus 5 (2013 Nexus phone) before I decide which one will become my daily driver.

When is the Nexus 5 coming out?

I believe the announcement will happen sometime around October 14th, here’s why.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus was announced on October 19th 2011 and then made available to the market a couple of weeks later.

The LG Nexus 4 was suppose to be announced mid October in NY City but the city was devastated by Hurricane Sandy so the announcement was made via press release on October 29th and the device was made available a couple of weeks later.

There seems to be a pattern and I am fairly confident this will hold with the 2014 version. The product should be announced mid October and then made available early November before the holiday shopping season starts (aka black Friday).

Nexus 4 inventories in most countries [on the Google Play store] are exhausted. 

Google announced the next revision to Android, nicknamed KitKat, a couple of weeks ago and we expect the new device to launch with this announced yet feature unknown version.

During the KitKat announcement, Google published a video showing the inauguration of the KitKat Android statue in front of its headquarters in which an employee seemed to be using an unannounced Nexus device. 

So obviously a new Nexus phone is being tested by employees in the Google campus. Many have suggested that this was an organized leak since it happened right before Apple's iPhone 5s announcement.

We then saw FCC documents showing a drawing for an upcoming LG phone which seemed to match the unannounced phone in the KitKat video.

Conclusion

I really believe we'll see a Nexus phone announcement mid-October and will hold off buying my personal daily driver cell until then. 

The story of Blackberry is sounding more and more like that of Nortel. Once a shining star in the tech world, now a has been company that can’t seem to do anything right.

Last week we learned that Blackberry (formely Research In Motion) will be laying off 40% of its workforce or 4,500 employees (worldwide). This terrible announcement was done at the same time as it notified the market it would have a GAAP net loss of $950 million - $1 billion in Q2. Cell phone sales are down 50% from last quarter to 3.7 million devices.

Blackberry stopped the global deployment of BBM for Android and IOS this weekend. 

Blackberry is cutting its workforce in an attempt to severely reduce costs. It is important to remember that the company has almost no debt and is sitting on almost $3billion of cash. The most prevalent rumor right now is that the company will likely be broken up and sold in part.

Blackberry’s official Q2 earnings will be announced this week on Friday September 27 2013.