technology
Air Canada iOS app now supports in-flight streaming entertainment
Air Canada released an update to its IOS app (iPhone and iPad) to add its new low cost carrier (Rouge) and customers will be able to stream in-flight entertainment to your device on selected Rouge aircrafts when you connect to the planes on-board WIFI network. Introducing player, Air Canada rouge's In-Flight Entertainment System Air Canada rouge is redefining the way you experience in-flight entertainment with player. You can now stream movies, TV shows and music directly to your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch!
Videotron to offer free WIFI and charging stations at Just for Laughs
Just for laughs is an incredibly popular festival in Montreal and is scheduled to take place July 13-28 this year. We learn that Videotron is back as a key sponsor. The most exciting result of this sponsorship for a tech enthusiast is that they will be offering free wifi and free charging stations. "To help offer the best possible entertainment experience, Videotron will install mobile phone charging stations at the Festival site. Festival-goers will be able to recharge any type of mobile device (Android, BlackBerry, etc.
iPhone 5s may sport an A7 processor
As soon as Apple finished announcing IOS 7 at WWDC, rumors started swirling about the iPhone 5s. We all expect Apple to announce the next iPhone sometime near the end of September. Based on past history, everyone expects the iPhone 5s to be a small incremental upgrade (compared to the iPhone 5) with a faster processor, better GPU and a slightly improved camera. We have seen a slow trickle of rumored part photo leaks and so far we have seen a bigger battery and a dual-color LED.
Pebble Android app brings Google Hangout Notifications
With Google moving all of its communication tools to the new Google Hangouts system, Pebble has updated its Android control app to provide notifications for it on its smartwatch. If you own a Pebble and use Android, download the update now from the Google Play store. Change log New in 1.8.2: Support for Google Hangouts Various stability improvements Enhancements for third-party app developers
OUYA Android game console sells out on Amazon
The incredibly popular OUYA Android based game console hit retail and quickly sold out on Amazon. This is a $99 console that will play Android games and comes bundled with 1 controller and the small main unit. An additional controller is $50.
A font that will protect your private information from spies
By now everyone is aware that companies and the government are spying on your every online transaction. They read your emails, instant messages and pretty much anything else you do online. Most of this analysis is done using automatic programs that rely on Optical Character recognition (OCR). OCR will detect what you are transmitting and will attempt to infer meaning. Companies do this to target advertising while governments do this for other reasons (insert you own justification). There is a typeface called ZXX that aims to make this a little more challenging for these organizations.
Real World Test and Review of the Nikon AW110
I recently had a chance to test the Nikon AW110 waterproof adventure camera and wanted to share my real-world experience with you. There are hundreds of sites that list the tech specs and compare those so you can be assured this review is not one of those. What I want to determine is how usable the camera is and how likely you are to keep using it if you buy it (assuming it is good enough to buy. Why a rugged waterproof camera?
Blackberry owns 30% of Canadian smartphone market
Statcounter is reporting that Blackberry has approximately 30% of the Canadian smartphone market. This places it behind the iPhone but better than Android (21%). We'll have to wait until their next quarterly release to see the official numbers but this looks like they doubled their Canadian marketshare. Does this mean Blackberry is back? How well are they selling in other markets? Only time will tell. Source: Seeking Alpha
Samsung Galaxy Zoom ad
I love iphoneography and am hoping the next Google Nexus and iPhone 5s push the limits of smartphone photography. Samsung not wanted to leave a gap in its product offerings has married a Samsung Galaxy S4 mini and a 16 megapixel point & shoot camera. Meet the Samsung Zoom
Samsung will release a Galaxy S4 with LTE-Advanced
Samsung's Galaxy S4 has been an incredible success and the electronics giant is always looking for new markets it can dominate. JK Shin, their fearless leader, has now decided it wants to be the first cell phone manufacturer to launch an LTE-Advanced mobile phone. In simple terms, an LTE-Advanced capable device talking to an LTE-Advanced tower perform twice as fast as "normal" LTE. Samsung will meet this target by releasing a new variant of the Samsung Galaxy S4 leveraging Qualcomm's new chipset (eschewing the in-house Exynos).
Comparing icons in IOS 6 and 7
Everyone seemed to agree that IOS 7 needed a major design overhaul and last weeks WWDC presentation definitely delivered an updated user interface. The first change most users will "see" when they finally upgrade to IOS 7 later this year (likely September), will be an entirely new set of redesigned app icons. To get you started, here are some IOS 6 / IOS 7 icons for your consideration Source: Cult of Mac
World meet the Motorola Moto X Android smartphone
Ever since Google acquired Motorola, tech analysts and customers alike have been waiting for the new breed of Google inspired Motorola Android smartphones. What makes the new Motorola Moto X so special? Dennis Woodside, Motorola's CEO, said it best "“We know when it’s in your pocket, we know when it’s in your hand, it’s going to know when you want to take a picture and fire up the cameras… The device will know when you’re in the car and it’s moving at 60mph and you’ll interact with it differently, more safely.
iPhone 5s will come in white, black and .... gold
In the land of chocolate and unicorns, the next iPhone will also come in gold (or so predicts Japanese iPhone site macotakara.) I think this is a pie in the sky rumor but hey why not have a good laugh?
Videotron offers unlimited talk/text + 6GB of data
As a Quebecer, I am always complaining about the lack of real competition of wireless services so I love seeing carriers compete. Videotron has come to the plate with a pretty competitive offering (limited time of course) for existing Videotron customers. The plan includes: unlimited Canada and US calling Unlimited SMS and MMS to anywhere in Canada CallerID Voicemail Call Waiting Conference calling 6 GB of data 5 hours of illico mobile for the first year See plan details here.
iPhone with 4.7-inch and 5.7-inch screens coming
As unbelievable as this may seem to most tech reviewers, Reuters is reporting that Apple may release 2 new iPhone form factors next year in the phablet range. The justification is that this will allow them to more completely compete with their new arch rival , Samsung. Reuters does mention that “they constantly change product specifications almost to the final moment, so you’re not really sure whether this is the final prototype.” Reuters is "confirming" that Apple will release the expected iPhone 5s in black and white with fingerprint authentication.
Nokia's "Zoom Reinvented" taking place July 11
Nokia will be holding an event July 11 2013 in NY City. Most pundits agree that Nokia will show its new (much leaked) EOS smartphone with the 41 megapixel PureView sensor. Other rumors about this device are 1280x768 pixel screen, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. Now that Samsung announced its Galaxy S4 zoom (basically a Galaxy S4 mini with a 16 megapixel 10x zoom camera built in), Nokia will really have to up its game to win traction.
HP to sell Google Apps to small and medium business'
Now that HP seems to have stabilized its business and it will be sticking with the small and medium business market, it seems to be looking for new ways to generate revenue. AllThingsD is reporting that HP will start selling Google Apps to this market. "HP has become a Google Apps reseller and will package management tools with its PCs, printers and other IT gear. One extra thing that HP brings to the table is some management software that will simplify setup.
Google has bought Waze
Google has finally confirmed that it has acquired Waze on its blog. This confirms one of the most persistent rumours we have been seeing for the last 4 months. The blog post confirms that the Waze team will stay as is in Israel and that Google will work to incorporate many of Waze's "cool" tech into it's Google Maps product. We don't have a confirmation about the cost of the acquisition yet but the rumors are pinning it in the 1B$ range.
THOR: Son of Asgard Free (usually $3)
You can download it from iTunes here. Manufacturer description: "Son of Asgard features stunning HD graphics optimized for Retina Displays that bring Asgard and Thor to life. Step into the role of Thor in this epic 3D action game. Asgard is under siege from forces both inside and outside its walls. Wield the great hammer Mjolnir as you battle rampaging foes to protect the kingdom and the nine worlds. "
Plants Vs Zombies for IOS Free for a limited time
Get the incredibly addictive and fun IOS game Plants vs Zombies free using this special promo link http://ca.ign.com/prime/promo/pvz-iphone