technology
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).
Dramatically improve the iPhone 5's WIFI performance
As a business traveler, I seek out WIFI hotspots where I can but am often disappointed by the actual performance. WIFI performance is highly dependent on the strength of the signal and often the entire WIFI for a location is dependent on one lonely router in a cupboard somewhere. Imagine my excitement when I learned about a cool new case called Linkcase from Absolute Technology. It is a case for your iPhone 5 that has a built in Electromagnetic Waveguide antenna.
Google Maps for IOS updated
Its time to update Google Maps for IOS. Version 1.1 released today allows you to search savced addresses of contacts, browse by category. Plus the update welcomes more locations into Google Maps' loving arms such as Bahrain, Egypt, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
Rumors about the iPhone 5s and its release date
As the unveiling date of the new Samsung Galaxy SIV get’s closer, we have started to hear rumors about the next iPhone. Now the team over at iMore believes that the next iPhone (the 5s maybe?) will be released in August, which matches up nicely to other rumors we have heard. In the last year, Apple seems to have moved away from a predictable release pattern which makes an August release possible. By allowing itself to have a flexible release cycle, it can respond to Android challengers more quickly and prevents customers from holding off from buying an existing phone (because the next release isn’t know, most won’t wait).
Why you shouldn't buy iCloud storage
Manufacturer specific cloud storage solutions are a bad idea. If you buy iCloud storage, it won’t work with your Windows PC or your wife’s Android device. This is the message Drew Houston , Dropbox’s CEO, shared with the audience at the Mobile World Congress. He highlighted the danger of getting locked into one manufacturer’s cloud storage solution (which won’t run on devices from any other brand). Houston talked about a user being able to store a file in the cloud and share it with any user regardless of their consumption device (Blackberry phone, Windows desktop or phone, Android device, etc).
D-Link Wireless Range Extender (DAP-1320) Review
Manufacturer description: Extend the range of your existing network Easy setup with the touch of a button Delivering up to 300Mbps wireless performance Universally works with any Wi-Fi device Why do I need the DAP-1320 wireless range extender? In my never-ending search to blanket my entire house with beautiful, warm and comforting WIFI, I decided to test the D-Link DAP-1320 Network Range Extender. A WIFI wireless Range extender is an easy way to push WIFI connectivity to every corner of your house without having to pass wiring.
Windows blue doesn't exist... Or does it?
Windows blue is expected to be the next major release of Windows (Windows 9 maybe). As expected, Microsoft denies everything but rumors has said the project has hit milestone 1. For Windows blue, we are expecting 2-3 milestones before the first customer preview. So far the project seems to be on track for a July/August release. The speculation started mid-2012 when a ZDNet writer, Mary Jo Foley, announced to the world that Microsoft was already at work for the next release of windows.
Blackberry converts from iPhone and Android users
Even though many of us aren’t interested in buying a Blackberry Z10 phone, we are cheering Blackberry on and hoping this is the lifeline they need to rebuild their business. As soon as we heard promising sales figures (in Canada and the UK), the naysayers jumped in and started trumpeting the lack of supply as the justification for sellouts and not excess demand. Now we learn that half of the buyers of the Z10 in Canada are migrating from competing products (1/3 of UK buyers).
Amiigo is the smartest fitness tracker
Related Articles: Fitbit Flex Wristband Announced Withings Smart Activity Tracker Lark Life May Be A Fitbit And Nike FuelBand Alternative Fitbit, Nike Fuelband And Lark Life Competitor - Enter Shine Amiigo is a new product currently being funded on crowd-funding site Indiegogo which is trying to make Fitbit, Shine, Jawbone and Lark Life obsolete. It is promising to use advanced algorithms and a bunch of sensors to do things none of its competitors can. The main piece is the Amiigo bracelet which contains an accelerometer, skin temperature sensor and pule oximeter).
Samsung Galaxy S IV teaser video
Excitement is building and Samsung has done an excellent job controlling leaks and creating a demand with tech enthusiasts. Now we get a promo video from Samsung. It is not very descriptive but some people may like it. For those not aware, the launch is scheduled for March 14 in the Big Apple.
Samsung Galaxy SIV benchmarks
Just 10 days left until the big Samsung reveal for the Galaxy SIV and you can feel the excitement with tech enthusiasts. Will this much anticipated phone deliver the innovations everyone is expecting? Faryaab Sheikh has twitted a picture of an Antutu benchmark showing a Samsung Glaxy SIV with an Exynos 5410 quad-core 1.8GHZ processor, 5 inch full HD screen, 2GB of RAM, a 13 megapixel camera and of course Android 4.2 #GalaxySIV features an Exynos Octa CPU, PowerVR SGX 544MP GPU, 2GB of RAM, 4.
$0.99 Lytro alternative for the iPhone
Related Article: Use Your DSLR As A (Cheaper Than) Lytro Alternative I remember first hearing about the wondrous Lytro camera before it was even released. I was amazed at what they had done and the promise of the incredible technology. Unfortunately the cost of the generation 1 camera is so high (Starts at $399) that I couldn’t justify getting it just yet. Imagine my surprise when I found a $0.99 app called tap2focus which simulates the light-field focus technology using clever and simple techniques.
Evernote hacked
Earlier this weekend, my beloved Evernote emailed its customers advising them that they had detected acking attempts and they had reset all of the user passwords as a precaution. They were adamant that no user information was accessed. Unlike LinkedIn (whose stolen passwords were easily decrypted), the Evernote passwords are stored hashed and salted which means decrypting them is a long and tedious job (which will likely make it unpractical). They also promised to released software updates that will make changing the password easier.
Apple's iphone 5 AV adapter doesn't provide full HD
The developers over at Panic were playing with the Apple AV adapter for iPhone 5 (and iPad mini) and realized something was “not right”. They started investigating and discovered that the device wasn’t outputting full HD video (1080p). The signal was of lower quality and had artifacts in it. So they set out to find out why. It turns out the adapter isn’t outputting the highest quality HD signal you would expect so they cracked the connector open and discovered that it contains a SoC (System on a chip) with dedicated RAM.
What we know about the Samsung Galaxy SIV (S4)
Related Articles: Samsung Galaxy S4 Event March 14 More Samsung Galaxy S4 (S IV) Rumors First Peek At The Samsung Galaxy S IV Is Samsung Cooler Than Apple? What we know about upcoming Samsung Galaxy SIV The body When you look at the Galaxy Note 8, it uses the same polycarbonate body as the Galaxy SIII which means the SIV will likely keep the same plastic based phone case as its predecessor. The screen Most rumors peg a larger the Samsung Galaxy SIV screen than its predecessor (likely a 5”).