Get 10GB of extra free Google Drive storage now
Google bought QuickOffice over a year ago (which use to costs $14.99) and is now releasing it for free on iPhone and Android.
Many believe this is being done as a direct response to Apple offering their iWork suit free on new IOS devices. The app is now universal on IOS which means it supports the iPhone, iPad mini and iPad.
Since buying the app, they have completely reworked the interface and have added deep Google Drive integration. They have done such a good job that many will prefer editing Google Doc documents in it instead of the clumsy web interface. Plus QuickOffice retains its legendary Microsoft Office compatibility (it is compatible with Word, Excel and Powerpoint).
If you download the app and log-in with your Google ID before September 26th, Google will add 10GB of free extra Google Drive storage for 2 years for free.
Android version download click here.
IOS version download click here.
BBM coming to Android and iPhone
Blackberries one saving grace is BBM. It is the one technology that has endured and kept BBM afloat. Some former Blackberry users have longed for the day they could use the familiar BBM on their iPhone and Android and now that day is almost upon us.
BBM for Android will be released in the Google Play store on September 21st (early morning) and on the iPhone on September 22nd (just passed midnight)
The Android version is expected to be compatible with compatible with Ice cream sandwich and above . It is important to state that many of the advanced features (Video calling, BBM Voice, BBM Channels, etc) will not be included in the first version.
How to boost your flash's power by 8X
Every photographer will tell you that any use of a flash makes pictures less pleasing and less natural but there are times when it is simply too dim and a flash is your only option.
<img src="uploads/2025/eb860bd93f.jpg" alt="">
Most flashes offer a couple of feet of coverage but their illuminating power quickly dissipates. Enter the Rogue Safari dSLR pop-up flash booster. It uses a Fresnel lens to focus your flash's light and push it up to 8x further.
Check your device's compatibility before ordering but it supports most Canon and Nikon dSLTs sold in the last couple of years.
Get this cool photography tool for only $35. Click here to order.
IOS 7upgrade failing on iphone
Just wanted to let you know that the IOS 7 upgrade is slowly being made available to everyone but that it isn't downloading on the first try.
<img src="uploads/2025/ae9e59e53e.jpg" alt="">
BBQ Bamboo Worms in a can
Nothing is more american than bacon and cheese.... with grasshoppers or thick, sweet and smokey BBQ sauce .... with bamboo worms? Yes sir and now you have the convenience of these delicacies in an easy to eat can format.
Each kit includes these delicacies
- Bacon & Cheese Grasshoppers (Acrididae)
- BBQ Bamboo Worms (Omphisa fuscidentalis)
- Nori Seaweed Armor Tail Scorpions (Mesobuthus martensii)
- Salted Queen Weaver Ants (Oecophylla)
- Sour Cream & Onion Dung Beetles (Circellium bacchus)
- Wasabi House Crickets (Gryllidae)
- Giant Waterbug Chil Paste (Nepidae)
<img src="uploads/2025/7a027ce098.jpg" alt="">
All of these creepy "meals" can be yours for a meere $40 per 7 can pack. These come from Thailand but fret not, the manufacturer is certified by the Thai Food and Drug Administration (equivalent), the US FDA and the GMP certified.
Not sure who would buy these but hey... a great way to freak out friends.
You can buy it now from
THinkGeekNew 2013 Nexus 7 with LTE available in Canada
[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“1059”]
New 2013 Google Nexus 7 with LTE tablet on Google Play for $349 CAD [/caption]
As much as I love the experience of IOS devices, I believe the best deal on a 7" tablet right now is the 2013 Nexus 7 (link).
It is light, powerful and has an incredibly beautiful retina-like screen. Really puts the iPad mini to shame. Many have been eagerly waiting for the LTE variant of the new device and it is finally available in Canada.
$349 buys you a brand new 7" tablet with:
- 32GB of storage
- 2GB of RAM
- 7-inch, 1920x1200 display (Full HD)
- Fraunhofer designed sound system
- comes with Android 4.3
- LTE: 700/850/1700/1800/1900/2100 MHz
- HSPA+: 850/900/1900/2100/AWS (1700/2100) MHz
Since we are talking about the LTE version, I want to mention that the device has pentaband HSPA+ support which means it will work with Wind Mobile, Mobility and videotron, plus LTE support for the big 3 Bell, Rogers, Telus (and their sub-brands Koodoo, Fido, SOLO, etc)
No room in Canadian market for 4th wireless carrier says AT&T
BNN is reporting that AT&T considered entering the Canadian market (similar to Verizon) but believes the market is too small to support a 4th national carrier.
Interestingly AT&T had a sizable ownership stake in Rogers in the early 2000's (selling their shares back to Rogers in 2004). Shifting Canadian foreign ownership rules are allowing these foreign entities to re-enter the Canadian market but they are all finding the market too small.
The real marker of interest will be who actually bids on the new 700mhz wireless spectrum auction. Could one of the smaller competitors bet big and try to become the next national player?
iPhone 5c and 5s compatible with Videotron, Wind Mobile & Mobilicity
We are just days away from the shipping of the iPhone 5c and the sale of the iPhone 5s. When buying a smartphone [Apple or Android], the biggest cost during your contract are the data costs. Canadians looking to use one of our alternative carriers (Wind Mobile, Mobilicity or Videotron) should rejoice with the knowledge that all new iPhones will be compatible with the AWS bands used by these carriers (T-Mobile in the US). This also means that the phone will work perfectly when roaming in the US with a Roam Mobility SIM card.
Sure some iPhone 5's were compatible but not all and figuring out which one was compatible was a complicated act of mental gymnastics based on serial number look-up.
Any iPhone 5c or 5s you pickup (unlocked) will work with these alternative cheaper carriers.
Related Articles:
ROGERS' US ROAMING VERSUS ROAM MOBILITY
ROAM MOBILITY OFFERS COMPETITIVE US ROAMING FOR CANADIANS
iCloud get's a IOS 7 makeover
In preparation of the release of IOS 7 today, Apple has updated the look and feel of its iCloud web portal. The new look matches that of IOS 7: new background and icons.
Looks like the iWork icons are still the old ones (and the old user interfaces). They are still free online (hoping they stay free) .
iPhone apps being updated for IOS7
In preparation of IOS 7's release today, developers are frantically working (the good ones at least) to optimize their products for IOS. If you haven't updated apps in a couple of days, go ahead and check it out. I updated my device yesterday afternoon and had another 8 apps ready for update this morning.
Some examples of popular updated apps are
Flipboard (v 2.0.7)- Enjoy Flipboard now on iOS 7
- Parallax in iOS 7 brings your magazine covers to life
- Delete unwanted comments directly in your magazines
- More Report functions: report inappropriate users and comments
- Bug fixes and performance improvements
- Russian language support
The moment you update your phone to iOS 7, you’ll see a fresh coat of paint on Foursquare. We’ve fancied up the icon, updated the UI, and made it all work flawlessly in Apple’s new iOS. So, while you’re playing with your new operating system (or new phone!), you can keep using Foursquare as usual.
For those of you on iOS 6, this update features a few behind-the-scenes improvements.
We’ve got bigger updates coming soon, so stay tuned.
eBay for iPhone (v 3.1.0)- New look and feel for iOS 7
- Many search improvements make it easier to find the items you need
- Swipe to see search options
- Enhancements to saved searches/sellers
- Sellers, we have improved the upload speed when posting items for sale
- Support for seller store categories
- Edit your shipping address from your profile screen
- Remove single items from your recent search history
- Improved currency conversions for our international customers
- Many bug fixes and enhancements
- iOS 6+ is required for this update
We’re always listening so please continue to send us suggestions and comments on getsatisfaction.com/ebaymobile or send us a tweet @eBayMobile.
Compression comes to Google Chrome for IOS
Most mobile users have some kind of capped data plan and being frugal with every megabyte is important to keeping costs low. Google is now enabling compression for their Chrome browser on IOS.
I have been testing this compression feature on the Google Chrome beta on Android for some time and am very happy they are making it available on IOS. It basically passes all traffic through a Google proxy that removes non-essential content from web streams (i.e. whitespace, comments, metadata, etc). Google claims data reduction of up to 50% but my real world experience (on Android) is about 20-37%.
Maybe this will push Apple to implement something similar on Mobile Safari.
Microsoft will host a Surface Launch event on Sept 23
With steep price cuts and the upcoming release of Windows 8.1, it was widely expected that Microsoft would host some type of launch even in September for its next generation surface devices.
On September 23rd (in the big apple) we find out what updated devices Microsoft hopes to steal the 2013 holiday season with.
Loksak keeps your valuables dry even when diving
As a world traveler, I am always on the lookout for tools and accessories that will make my life easier, safer or more enjoyable.
Like most travelers, I now travel with a handful of gadgets (smartphones, tablets, external batteries, GPS, etc) and need to keep these devices working regardless of the situations I may encounter. What could I have possibly encountered you ask? Let me tell you my friend, tornadoes, earthquakes, sleet, snow, severe rain, tsunami, etc. Having spent the better part of my career travelling, I seem to have been in one too many "abnormal" situations.
How do you keep your stuff safe?
When travelling, you have a couple of options to keep your belongings safe: on one end is the cheap ziplock plastic bag and on the other side is the Pelican brand small waterproof cases. I believe a serious traveler has to use different tools for different situations and knowing what is the right tool is immensely helpful.
For delicate items I want to provide absolute protection to (like scuba diving watches), I use a Pelican brand hard shell waterproof, airtight container. (like the Pelican 1060 Microcase shown below):
<img src="uploads/2025/266e9bed13.jpg" alt="">
Although these provide fantastic protection in transit, they are more bulky and much more difficult to carry. Plus when you protect a smartphone in one of these, it is unusable.
This is why some people chose to protect their $650 smartphone or tablet with a cheap kitchen style plastic bag...
Does anyone think protecting a $650 smartphone/tablet with a $0.23 kitchen-style plastic bag makes sense?
As stupid as it sounds, thousands of people do it. Some because they don't want to spend more money (stupid) and others because they don't know there are other options. This is where the product I am reviewing today aLokSak comes in.
What is a LokSak?
It is a durable, reusable and flexible bag that is designed to keep moisture, dust and debris out.
<img src="uploads/2025/493458057f.jpg" alt="">
Of all the characteristics of these bags, the 2 that really caught my attention were:
- Durable 6 Mil Film has a “Cold-Crack” Tolerance to -40 C
- No BPA or Use of Any Harsh Chemicals
My tests of the LokSak
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="2500"]<img src="uploads/2025/3143893932.jpg" alt=" LokSak storing an
Innergie PocketCell 3000mAh battery and MyCharge battery pack “> LokSak storing an Innergie PocketCell 3000mAh battery and MyCharge battery pack [/caption]
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="2500"]<img src="uploads/2025/709f5c1a14.jpg" alt=" LokSak storing additional batteries for my Olympus TG-2
though camera and SD Memory cards. The camera itself is waterproof to 60 feet and now the batteries and SD Cards as well. “> LokSak storing additional batteries for my Olympus TG-2 though camera and SD Memory cards. The camera itself is waterproof to 60 feet and now the batteries and SD Cards as well. [/caption]
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="2500"]<img src="uploads/2025/06cd2925a9.jpg" alt=" LokSak protecting an iPhone 4s with a Chinese made 3000 mAh
external battery “> LokSak protecting an iPhone 4s with a Chinese made 3000 mAh external battery [/caption]
I tested these bags during my last family trip to Florida. It included
- wet amusement parks (water parks and water games at general amusement parks)
- torture testing against sand and salt ocean water
- generate wear and tear from constant usage and travel
First let me go on records and confirm that
these bags are waterproof, sand proof, humidity proof and dust proof.
Whether on a water-slide, in a pool, covered in sand or in your pocket while swimming, these bags delivered on their promise to keep my valuables safe and dry.
For many of the tests, I used a regular name brand resalable bag as my control test. Everything I did with one, I did with the other (only I didn't trust the name brand so I had tissue paper in it during sand and water tests). Whereas the LokSak protected its contents every time, the name brand resalable bag experience multiple failure during my tests. These failures would have been catastrophic for the content. The 2 major failures the name brand bag experienced were tears and opening of the zipper lock mechanism. The Loksak never experienced either.
As an example, the name brand resalable bag ripped quickly when storing my iPhone 4s+clip on extended battery case because of the hard edges (while carrying it in my short pockets).
The LokSak’s thick proprietary material meant it took the beating and kept protecting the content.
Even with the special green seal indicator with the name brand bag, there were times when regular in water movement provided just enough pressure on the bag and it unzipped part of the bag.
The LokSak's bigger more solid zipper mechanism meant it stayed properly and securely locked regardless of how I abused the bag.
For one test, We cut up paper to dollar bill sizes and dove to 80 feet for 30 minutes. The contents came out completely dry.
What else did I use it for?
In addition to standard electronics like battery packs, smartphones and tablets, I used these bags to store my passports and travel confirmations, foreign currencies(paper and coins), I used one to collect all of my receipts, I used one to store a site map to ensure it stayed dry during the entire day, etc.
When on an excursion, I don't want to leave my passport, credit cards and money in a bag on the beach, in a bus or open to theft in the room (and no you can't trust the in-room safe). LokSak means you can carry it with you safely protected from the elements.
As a very light packing traveler (I travel with only one carry on), I can carry the bigger size with me to store dirty clothes, then at the end of the day fill with water and detergent, seal the bag and then run a manual "agitation cycle". Then you simply take the clothes out to rinse and dry. The bag is dried and ready for use the next day.
You can use a medium sized bag to store your shoes and keep your clothes clean.
You can use a 1L version to store your liquids and ensure your clothes won't be damaged if a container bursts (like many friends and colleagues have experienced when using the cheap bags provided by border control at the airport).
This is fantastic for travelers, campers or simply as a storage bag in your emergency bugout bag.
Verdict
These bags are affordable, durable, reusable and reliable. Not only do I highly recommend them to you but they are now part of my own travel kit (both business and personal). I have already placed an order for a bunch more of these bags.
There are some situations where my Pelican cases are still absolutely necessary but for everything else, These are my new favorite protection bags.
Real world review of the Leap Motion Controller
Leap Motion Controller Review
I love new tech and am an early adopter. I saw the Leap Motion Controller demo about a year ago and got swept up in Minority Report type computing dreams. Oh the things it would be able to do. I could think of a dozen ways it would make my computing life so much better and I waiting anxiously for the product to hit the market.
The cool factor
There is no denying this is cool technology. Comparing it to a Kinect is like comparing a bicycle to a giant 4x4 truck.
The leap controller
The device is a little stick gum sized package that sits in front of you and hooks to a PC via USB 2 or USB 3. the built in LED illuminators and sensors have a 150 degree field of view in 3D space and detect your 10 fingers in millimeter accuracy. there is a fraction of a second lag that is imperceptible.
<img src="uploads/2025/dc7f1f3d32.jpg" alt="">
The tech is amazing at any price but blows me away at its sub $100 price tag.
Installation
Installation on a Windows 8 computer was simple. I downloaded the installer, ran setup with the default settings, created my "Airspac" account and was presented with an awe inspiring interactive demo.
Their appstore
The best apps are those with specifically designed support and can be found on their Airpsace store. They have a surprisingly generous offering of free and paid apps (Apple and Windows).
As you download and use the apps, you appreciate how much practice it takes to really become good with the Leap Motion Controller. sure anyone can use it immediately but fine-tuned control will require practice.
As you use the device you realize that it is very cool but I can't see how this will make my everyday computing life better. This is where reality started to sink in. It is very cool but currently not useful. It won't make you more productive or efficient.
Its cool but
It is fantastic technology but has limitations (when you move one hand in front of the other the one in back is no longer detected).
Years ago Steve Jobs said he didn't built a touch based iMac because people would quickly get tired. He was right. Using the leap motion will eventually lead to tired arms.
I tried using it in my standard operating system but it was clumsy, error prone and just not a positive experience.
Every once in a while you may be asked to recalibrate the Leap Motion Controller which involved pointing it to a reflective surface and "painting" dots on the screen.
Verdict
The Leap Motion Controller is definitely cool technology that demos well but isn't really practical in the real world today.
This is clearly a version 1.0 product and will require a couple of years to mature before it becomes truly useful.
Right now, I say don't buy it unless you have money burning a hole in your pocket.
How to improve you luck immediately
There are times when you feel you have run out of luck. When things just aren't going your way and you need a little push. Sure you could carry a dismembered animal foot (aka rabbits foot) but there is a new product to the rescue called Insta-Luck.
The Insta-Luck container contains a genuine real four leaf clover preserved using a proprietary 5 step process to ensure it lasts a lifetime. You could try finding a four leaf clover yourself but
your chance of finding an authentic four leaf clover in the wild is 1 in 10,000
<img src="uploads/2025/d2ac2c05fa.jpg" alt="">
It seems many people believe in the supreme power of the four leaf clover and the retailer has quickly sold out its stock at $11.99
VAT19Childbirth simulator with baby, placenta and fluids
Childbirth is a wonderful and beautiful life event. Then I see something like this and all I can wonder is why why why... This Childbirth simulator is strange. The MamaNatalie® birthing simulator comes with a baby, placenta, umbilical cord, fake blood and other fluids.
All I can say is oh my and how weird and WHY!
<img src="uploads/2025/39132a6315.jpg" alt="">
<img src="uploads/2025/7a18f1310e.jpg" alt="">
<img src="uploads/2025/7ce0849d59.jpg" alt="">
http://www.laerdal.com/us/mamaNatalie
Bose SoundLink Mini is the best mid-size Bluetooth speaker
Bose SoundLink Mini review
I love audio devices. I own several dozen headphones, amps, speakers and audio players. I have a music collection in tones of formats from MP3 128-bit all the way to lossless ALAC and FLAC.
I love testing speakers and particularly Bluetooth speakers I can take on business trips.
I recently had a chance to test he Bose soundLink mini and was pleasantly surprised. It fast became my favorite mid-level Bluetooth speaker (more than the UE Boom or Jawbone Jambox).
The Looks
A review of any Bose design has to start with the way it is built. Bose has the ability to modernize "older" looks and the SoundLink mini is no exception. It evoques images of old school 1950 style radios but is clearly a modern and stylish device. Like car manufacturers, Bose has a beautiful front metal grill that makes this device look oh so modern.
You can protect and uglify the device by using an option rubber skin.
It is smaller than most of its competitors weights in at a nice 1.5 pounds. It is an aluminium body that feels well built and solid. Definitely something that will last.
Look as you may, you won't find where the microphone is hidden. Wait.. where is it... oh it doesn't offer speakerphone capabilities.
The device is controlled with soft touch rubber buttons on the top (volume, input, mute, etc). LED lights above each button show which function is on.
<img src="uploads/2025/15736692da.jpg" alt="">
On the side you'll find a power input connector and a 3.5mm standard audio input (for non Bluetooth devices). The next con on this one is that it doesn't charge via standard USB like most other devices in this space. The negative is that you have one more charger to travel with but it does charge faster than other devices using USB charging. It also comes with a charging cradle which means home based charging is as simple as dropping it into the cradle.
There is a USB port on the device but that is used for firmware updates.
Battery
Bose says the battery lasts 7 hours and they are almost on the mark with standard use.
Going from empty to full takes 3-4 hours.
Sound Quality
Unlike other reviewers, I am not enamored with the Bose name and love some of their products sound quality and hate others.
When compared to other mid-sized competitors, the Bose SoundLink mini produces a decent amount of room filling sound. It actually is louder than most of its similarly sized competitors. It fills a standard room with loud enough sound for a get together but doesn't match the loudness of its bigger SoundLink or the bigger competitors. Also the smaller you get, the flatter the bass. The bass is respectable but not "club quality".
I thew a slew of different types of songs at it and it performed very well for a Bluetooth speaker (Bluetooth having a narrower less bit intensive capability). Where possible, I always prefer a straight digital out signal or a wires connection but sometimes Bluetooth is the only option and this device provides good sound reproduction. Only a handful of aggressive soundtracks played at maximum volume showed some distortion. Most of the time music played without any distortion even at maximum volume.
Bass is medium quality but overall separate and sound-stage was fairly good. High were particularly clean and vivid. It definitely merits the Bose badge for sound quality.
Pairing
The device was easy to pair (and paired reliably) to an iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy S4, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10.
Verdict
If you need a mid-level portable Bluetooth speaker than this is my current best pick at round $199.
The device comes with the AC adapter and the charging base. The protection skin can be purchased separately in various colors.
<img src="uploads/2025/2987747b93.jpg" alt="">
FCC leaks Nexus 5 information
Google published a video this week that showed the unveiling of the Android Kit Kat statue in front of the Googleplex. The above snapshot shows a new unannounced Nexus phone, which may be why Google quickly pulled the video.
Site S4Guru discovered an FCC filling for a new LG device whose shape seems to match that of the mystery phone shown above. Could this be the next Nexus (Nexus 5)?
The FCC filling shows that the device will support these bands:
- GSM 850/1900
- W-CDMA 1900/2100+1700/850 (band 2, 4, 5)
- CDMA1X/EV-DO 850/1900/800 (band class 0, 1, 10)
- LTE 2100+1700/850/700/1900/800 (band 4, 5, 17, 25, 26)
- TD-LTE 2600 (band 41)
<img src="uploads/2025/dbded0c269.jpg" alt="">
Review of the Fitbit Flex fitness tracker
Fitbit is one of the early pioneers in mass market self measurement devices. to stay current and hip, they released the Fitbit Flex bracelet style tracker and I went hands on.
In the bracelet style health monitors, the 3 main players are Jawbone UP, Nike Fuelband and the Fitbit Flex. The Fitbit Flex is cheaper than its competitors but seems to offer more value for the money.
<img src="uploads/2025/a8446c809a.jpg" alt="">
The design
The design a a clean bracelet style tracker that is easy to wear but that loses the instant feedback the other Fitbit devices offer with their screens. for this simple reason, some consumers may prefer the Fitbit one instead (which is a great device in its own right).
<img src="uploads/2025/63451e741e.jpg" alt="">
The Flex has handful of blinking lights that show how close you are to achieving your self-set target.
It is a comfortable plastic design that is easy to wear all day every day. It comes in sizes small and large and should fit most consumers fairly well.
Some call it stylish others call all similar trackers ugly so you'll have to decide this one. I think its discreet and nice.
You have a choice of 5 stylish colors including black, slate, teal, tangerine and navy.
The device
The fitbit flex is designed for all day tracking including movement during the day and sleep at night.
Paired with the IOS or Android app, it gains the ability to track other activities (besides steps) and calories from food intake. all useful when trying to leave a healthier lifestyle.
<img src="uploads/2025/7ce4bae59f.jpg" alt="">
Similar to the one it offers a vibration based alarm (so as not to wake up your partner in the morning). The flex adds a new metric which represents the number of active minutes in a day.
You get a couple of days of use out of each charge.
The kit
The kit comes with the bracelet itself, a USB charger and a USB dongle for your computer (for wireless synchronization of data back to the Fitbit cloud).
It also comes with Bluetooth so you can sync the data on the run via your smartphone.
Start-up
Start-up is a breeze. You download the small PC and/or smartphone app, create a Ftibit account or log in to an existing one, provide some information (such as age, sex,height, weight, etc)
Verdict
Fitbit is a trusted tracker who is financially solid (which means they will be around). The Flex is a stylish, easy to use and wear device that will gamify fitness and maybe help you lose a couple of pounds.
The Fitbit One is still my preferred fitness tracker but the Flex is a nice option for people looking for a bracelet style model (the One is a clip on).
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 first to support LTE Advanced
With all the glitzy showmanship at the Samsung event at IFA (In Berlin), you would be forgiven for missing one of the coolest new smartphone features launching on the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. It is support for the new and upcoming LTE-Advanced standard.
Even though no carriers currently offer LTE advanced support, this means your phone investment dollars will go much further. The LTE Advanced support comes from the Qualcomm
MDM9x25 baseband which also supports 6 LTE bands. This means your phone will support more carriers.