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    by Published on 01-31-2012 08:11 PM
    Categories:
    1. Devices,
    2. News



    Over at Crackberry.com they've posted an internal slide of what appears to be a rendering of the upcoming BlackBerry os 10 superphone.

    I have to admit, I do like the look.
    I don't know how the BlackBerry faithful are going to take this though. There doesn't appear to be a physical keyboard, a long standing BlackBerry strength.

    What are your thoughts?
    by Published on 01-31-2012 05:19 PM
    Categories:
    1. Off-Topic

    What does it mean if you have an iPhone, Android and Blackberry? Do Android users use Android because there's more choice?

    Canadian singles who use Android phones are more likely to have sex on a first date and partake in one-night stands, in comparison to those with other types of smartphones, according to a results of a survey.
    The survey, conducted by polling firm Zoomerang for dating websiteMatch.com, found 62 per cent of singles it asked who use Android devices, have had sex on a first date, compared with 57 per cent of iPhone users and 48 per cent of BlackBerry users.
    At 55 per cent, Android users also were the most likely to have one-night stands. According to the survey results, 50 per cent of iPhone users have had a one-night stand and 47.6 per cent of Blackberry users said also they had had a one-night stand.

    http://www.canada.com/life/Android+users+mostly+likely+have+first+date+survey/6079978/story.html


    What do you use?
    by Published on 01-31-2012 04:44 PM
    Categories:
    1. Devices,
    2. Reviews and Hands-on
    Article Preview

    I got to play with the LTE version of the Galaxy Note today.

    While the HSPA version of the Note has been around elsewhere for a few months now the one that's launching here has LTE support. There were some demos of the speedtest app which showed speed test results over LTE of around 50mbps which is inline with the HTC Raider and Samsung Galaxy S II LTE.

    With a 5.3" display you're probably wondering about the size. You will receive funny looks so you'll probably want to skip the Note if you're self conscious. It's definitely a device that requires 2 hands - if you wear tight skinny jeans you may have problems with it.
    ...
    by Published on 01-31-2012 10:27 AM
    Categories:
    1. Devices,
    2. Rumors



    Courtesy of BGR the HTC Ville has made an appearance for the camera.

    Reportedly packing a dual core 1.5GHZ processor, 4.3" QHD SUPER Amoled screen (940 x 540), Sense 4.0 (love it or hate it), 8.0MP camera, HSPA+ and a 1650 mah battery.

    Myself, I don't understand the 1650 battery when manufacturers like Samsung and Motorola are going full steam ahead with fatter, 3000mah or larger batteries. Can this phone last a day on the 1650mah?

    The HTC Raider has some excellent battery life on HSPA and it's running a 1730mah so time will tell.

    Have a look and tell me what you think.
    by Published on 01-30-2012 10:38 PM
    Categories:
    1. Rumors


    Word on the street is that there may be a refreshed Samsung Galaxy Nexus coming. I wasrReading over at Android and Me and this thread caught my attention:

    The rumors state that there is going to be a refreshed camera. Possibly along the way of 8.0MP. On top of that, the processors are scheduled to be refreshed using The faster SGX544 GPU is included with Texas Instruments’ upcoming OMAP4470 processor. This is the successor to the original OMAP4460 found in the Galaxy Nexus, that includes the older SGX540 GPU.

    With the Sprint version of the Galaxy Nexus coming soon we'll have to wait and see if they are in fact getting a refreshed model or the LTE based model that Verizon has currently

    Either way, I hope they do launch a refresh on the HSPA+ line as well.
    I use the Galaxy Nexus and while I love the phone, I wish the camera was better. Faster is always better as well so I'll take the processor bump.

    What are your thoughts?
    by Published on 01-27-2012 01:30 PM
    Categories:
    1. News,
    2. From The Forums,
    3. Carriers


    HoFolicity was a meetup for HowardForums users hosted by Mobilicity.

    For the event Mobilicity was kind enough to bring out some of their employees including CEO Stewart Lyons along with 2 people from Ericsson - the vendor who runs their network to help answer our questions.

    Even if you're not a Mobilicity customer it's worth checking out the video as it has a lot of insights from people who run the network.

    The event was a blast. I had an awesome time hanging out with all of you.

    Check out the cool T-shirts that Mobilicity prepared for the event (thanks Sheryl!). It's a reference to a contest we had in the Mobilicity forum last year.

    A big thanks to Mobilicity for putting on a great event and thanks to all the members who showed up. Congrats to forum user loykee on winning a Galaxy Nexus and good luck baby HoFo. (Loykee's 38.5 weeks pregnant!)

    Check out our written coverage here.
    by Published on 01-26-2012 12:05 PM
    Categories:
    1. Commentary and Analysis
    Article Preview


    Nokia announced their Q4 results today. While no one's surprised they lost money it's interesting to see that they sold 'well over 1 million' Lumia's.

    1 Million is a big number but a drop in the bucket when you consider how large the overall Smartphone market is. Google claims that over 700,000 Android devices are activated per day.

    Still, you have to put Nokia's Windows Phones in perspective. They launched them around 6 months after they announced their partnership with Microsoft. Even if you assume that Nokia and Microsoft were working on a Windows Phone for a few months before the announcement (let's say 2 or 3 months), turning out a phone in 6-9 months is a pretty good turn-around.

    It's a glass half-empty, half-full full scenario. On one hand, Nokia didn't sell that many Windows Phones. On the other hand they're just getting started. Hopefully this year will bring more interesting handsets which will stand out from other Windows Phone OEMs.

    Personally I think the Lumia 800 and 900 boast the strongest industrial design out of all the current Windows Phones. They're the most unique and interesting looking of the current batch of Windows Phones (with HTC a close second).

    One obstacle could be Microsoft's strict enforcement of the Windows Phone UI. While I think it's absolutely necessary for the success of Windows Phone it makes the Lumia 800, less Nokia-y, The HTC Titan, less HTC-y. Sticking Nokia Maps on a Windows Phone doesn't make it very Nokia like. The 800 is very Nokia on the outside but inside is a different story.

    On the upside Microsoft is really depending on Nokia when it comes to the success of Windows Phone. The other big Windows Phone players are knee deep in Android. HTC has the Radar and the Titan on the Windows Phone side while on the Android they have the Raider, Amaze, Evo 3D, Status/ChaCha, Widefire S, Sensations, etc. Nokia is the only major Windows Phone player that doesn't do Android as well. It's in Microsoft's best interest to see Nokia do well.

    Based on the modest gain in Nokia's stock after they announced earnings it seems investors are cautiously optimistic about Nokia's future. If I were to sum it up in a few words it would be: "It wasn't that bad".

    What do you think? Glass half empty or full? Or does Nokia need a new glass? ...
    by Published on 01-24-2012 03:30 PM
    Categories:
    1. Commentary and Analysis

    Rogers new Cancellation policy went live, and from what I can gather it's a hot mess.
    I was also reading this on Mobile Syrup.

    let's have a look:
    *Device Savings Recovery Fee (DSRF)
    * Economic Inducement
    *Additional Device Savings Recovery Fee (ADSRF) this one is the crown jewel
    *Service Deactivation Fee of $12.50 excluding Quebec / Manitoba

    So basically, we all thought that you'd have to pay the subsidy back. Seemed Fair right? Wait there's more!
    There's the ADSRF fee now which seems like on top of the subsidy of the phone, there's an additional fee to be paid back for Data. Even though the phone required a data package in the first place to get the subsidy you'll have to pay an additional cancellation fee on top.

    What?
    Device Savings Recovery Fee (applicable to term commitment customers only for any new term entered into on or after January 22, 2012)

    A Device Savings Recovery Fee (DSRF) applies if you have been granted an Economic Inducement (as defined below) upon entering your new term, and if, for any reason, your wireless service or your new term is terminated prior to the end of the term of your Service Agreement (Service Agreement Term). The DSRF is the amount of the economic inducement (which may take the form of a discount, rebate or other benefit granted on the price of your Equipment), as stated in your Service Agreement (Economic Inducement), less the amount obtained by multiplying such Economic Inducement by a fraction representing the number of months elapsed in your Service Agreement Term as compared to the total number of months of your Service Agreement Term (plus applicable taxes). In other words, DSRF = Economic Inducement - [Economic Inducement x (# months elapsed in your Service Agreement Term ÷ Total # months in your Service Agreement Term)] + applicable taxes. An Additional Device Savings Recovery Fee (ADSRF) also applies if, for any reason, your wireless data service, or your data plan's commitment term (Data Term), is terminated prior to the end of your Data Term. The ADSRF is the additional Economic Inducement you received for subscribing to your wireless data service, less the amount obtained by multiplying such Economic Inducement by a fraction representing the number of months elapsed in your Data Term as compared to the total number of months of your Data Term (plus applicable taxes), and applies in addition to the DSRF for termination of your Service Agreement. If you subscribe to a plan combining both voice and data services, both the DSRF and the ADSRF apply, up to the total Economic Inducement.

    Service Deactivation Fee (applicable to term commitment customers only for any new term entered into on or after January 22, 2012)

    Not applicable to Residents of Québec or Manitoba: A Service Deactivation Fee of $12.50 per line applies if, for any reason, your wireless service is deactivated prior to the end of your Service Agreement Term. This fee is in addition to any applicable DSRF or DSRF and ADSRF.

    Applicable only to Residents of Québec or Manitoba: If your wireless service is deactivated prior to the end of your Service Agreement Term and there is no Economic Inducement stated in your Service Agreement, then you will be charged a Service Deactivation Fee. The Service Deactivation Fee is an amount permitted under provincial legislation, being the lesser of $50 or 10% of the monthly service fees for the services that you have subscribed to on a Service Agreement Term and Data Term, as applicable, but not provided as of the termination date (plus applicable taxes).

    Sound off, what are your thoughts? ...
    by Published on 01-24-2012 11:08 AM
    Categories:
    1. Commentary and Analysis

    I was perusing the web the other day and came across this article on BGR

    When I read the headline in passing I immediately rolled my eyes. When is to much, to much?

    Everyone seems to be suing everyone and Apple is no stranger to this behavior.

    Having read the Steve Jobs biography, or even having general knowledge of Apple, I'm aware of Steve Jobs' wish to burn Android to the ground for being a "copycat" of iOS.

    Now, someone stop me if I'm wrong here, but isn't iOS based upon Macintosh's look and feel? Didn't that look and feel originally come from Xerox?

    Here's my bit:
    $100.00 Million spent, Lawyers loving it. Consumers are still voting with their wallets, iOS and Android are seeing exponential growth. Clearly there is room for both

    Leave the money in the bank and let the consumers decide what they want. It's not like Apple isn't selling products here.

    What are your thoughts? ...
    by Published on 01-22-2012 09:30 PM
    Categories:
    1. News,
    2. From The Forums

    WATERLOO, Ontario—After 20 years together at the helm of Research In Motion Ltd., Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis, the company's co-chief executives, said they planned to turn over the top job early Monday to a little-known company insider as part of a board and management shuffle.
    With the co-CEO's stepping down, what effect do you think that will have on the future of the company and its products? Talk about it in the forum discussion link below.

    More at: WSJ | Forum discussion

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