Technology & Business
Google News now in tablet flavour
I browsed to Google News and saw this: I clicked on the Learn More link and found an interesting Google Blog post. The crux of the optimizations are: You can find new articles, news sources, and even topics of interest with intuitive gestures. Swipe horizontally between sections – from Business to Entertainment, for example – or tap “Explore in depth” to see multiple articles and other info related to a particular story. We’ve also added more breathing room between articles, making it easier to spot the stories you really care about.
Pictures of the Samsung Galaxy SIV?
We are 3 days away from the launch of the Samsung Galaxy SIV in New York’s Time Square and the rumors surrounding the device have reached a feverish pitch. Now a Chinese site has published pictures claiming to be the Samsun Galaxy SIV. We know Samsung takes confidentiality seriously and this may simply be a Galaxy SIV with a Halloween costume or may even be a decoy unit meant to take potential leakers off track. Coming from China, it may even be a knock off device made by a local manufacturer.
Baidu Antivirus Pro free
Baidu is China’s response to Google and they have just launched a free antivirus solution called Baidu Antivirus 2013. In my tests, it was light, easy to use and fast anti-virus. They promise to protect you from malware, viruses, spyware and adware. I tested it against some more common malicious code and it seems to catch and clean the system. Although we haven’t seen any independent tests yet, I expect them to be as good or better than many of the traditional free products but not as good as the stronger for pay products.
Get free home high speed internet in the USA
Canadian carriers are notorious for overcharging customers for mobile or home internet services, so we are jealous of all the competition and competitive pricing our US friends have access to. There is a neat little company (in the US) called FreedomPop that has launched a new home internet service which offers free internet services. You can buy the special 4G router for $89 (plus $8.99S&H) and then use it with FreedomPop’s free internet service. The free plan gives you 1GB of data a month with 1.
Canada wants to make changing the IMEI illegal
A member of parliament representing the NDP (a major Canadian political party) has submitted a bill making tampering of a devices IMEI illegal. The IMEI is a unique serial number embedded in all GSM devices that allows the network to uniquely identify it. Carriers can use this to pair a device with a user or to prevent a stolen device from being activated on someone else’s account. Read the NDP press release here “Cell phone theft is primarily a crime of opportunity, because any stolen mobile device can easily be reactivated with a different carrier,” said Sullivan.
Office 2013 can now be legally transferred
Microsoft created a huge uproar when it notified customers that the new Office 2013 license is tied to a PC. This meant that when you upgrade or replace the PC, you would lose you expensive Microsoft Office 2013 license. Now we find out that Microsoft has hear customer complaints and is reversing course. They have just announced on their blog that they are updating the license policy to allow users to transfer Office 2013 licenses to a new PC. The change is valid immediately and the EULA will be changed to reflect this in the future.
Review of Canadian ISP ElectronicBox.net
Until last week, I had been a long time Bell Internet customer. My journey started with their overpriced & underperforming ADSL service and ended with their Fibe 15 Fiber Optic to the house internet service. I had stayed with Bell all these years because it was easier than moving to another provider but I was tired of being overcharged and underserved. Their helpless desk seem to be staffed with unqualified agents and their customer retention team loves to give a “take it or leave it offer”.
iPhone 5s to have a finger print scanner
Since we’re talking about iPhone 5s rumors, I wanted to share with you the predictions made by Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with KGI research. He predicts that the iPhone 5s will be released in June and that Apple will maintain its 2 year hardware redesign strategy (aka which means the iPhone 5s is expected to look like the iPhone 5). He also claims that a lower cost iPhone 5 will also be released this year so Apple can penetrate the developing economies.
Humble Bundle for Android now live - Super cheap games
The Humble Bundle is a fantastic way to get great indie games for an unbelievably cheap price (aka donationware). Donationware means you can pay what you want. The current bundle (version #5) comes with 4 games (3 of which are new to Android): Beat Hazard Ultra Dynamite Jack Solar 2 NighSky HD If you donate more than the average, you also get: Dungeon Defenders Super Hexagon
Fido and Rogers implement new unlocking policy end of March
I wrote about the new unlocking policies for Rogers and Fido a couple of weeks ago and it seem the start of this new policy is almost upon us. In a tweet from FIDO, I was notified the policy would start end of March. For those unfamiliar with the new policy, the 2 carriers will unlock any customer device for $50 after a device has been active for at least 90 days (as long as the customer’s account is in good standing).