mobile syrup Archives - Page 3 of 4

BlackBerry receives “largest ever single purchase order” with One Million BlackBerry 10 smartphones

March 14, 2013/in Tech News /by Chris Sutton

BlackBerry was officially released in Canada on February 5th and the launch carriers stated there was “great interest,” “intense interest,” and “very positive response.” There’s no hard sales numbers, but the global rollout has expanded to the United Kingdom, India and coming up in the United States on March 22nd.

In a press release today BlackBerry announced a massive endorsement for what they label as the “largest ever single purchase order in BlackBerry’s history.” Apparently an unknown “partner,” probably a carrier in the States, has placed an order of a whopping 1 million units. The release doesn’t specifically mention one million BlackBerry Z10 smartphones, just “BlackBerry Partner Purchases One Million BlackBerry 10 Smartphones.” So there could be a mix of all 6 BlackBerry 10 smartphones this year. Regardless, one million BB10 smartphones is a serious commitment.

Rick Costanzo, EVP Global Sales for BlackBerry, said “An order for one million devices is a tremendous vote of confidence in BlackBerry 10. Consumers are ready for a new user experience, and BlackBerry 10 delivers. With strong partner support, coupled with this truly re-invented new platform, we have a powerful recipe for success.”

Source: BlackBerry

BlackBerry Secure Work Space for iOS and Android will separate work and personal data, connect to BES 10

March 14, 2013/in Tech News /by Chris Sutton

BlackBerry will launch its Secure Work Space solution for iOS and Android devices in Q2, with a formal announcement at BlackBerry Live in May. The company had previously announced its plan to take business clients using iPhone and Android smartphones under its wing, allowing a formal separation of personal and business data with “secured client applications for email, calendar, contacts, tasks, memos, secure browsing and document editing for each device that is provisioned via BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10.”

As expected, the backend will rely on BlackBerry Enterprise Server 10, an updated version of the current service used by millions of companies around the world. Secure Work Space will allow third party platforms to connect to their works’ servers over VPN, and ensure that lost or stolen phones will not lead to an inadvertent breach of company data.

The move to being a backend provider to enterprise BYOD devices allows BlackBerry a high-margin sales channel at a time where its hardware sales are, at best, mediocre. As the company works to bring the Z10 and, later, the Q10 to more markets, it must have a strategy in place to sell solutions to companies who don’t want to force a second phone down their employees’ throats, or those with BYOD solutions that may be looking at The Next Big Thing.

Secure Work Space will be outlined in greater detail during BlackBerry Live in May.

Via: Reuters

“Canada’s cell phone market is dysfunctional and in desperate need of an overhaul.”

March 11, 2013/in Tech News /by Chris Sutton

Grassroots organization OpenMedia released a timely report this morning. It’s based on their recent “Cellphone Horror Story” poll and declares that “Canada’s cell phone market is dysfunctional and in desperate need of an overhaul.”

Between October 17th, 2012 and February 15th, 2013 there were 2,859 submissions and brings nothing new when compared to the CRTC’s Monitoring report, or the Complaints for Telecommunications (CCTS) annual report. Wireless customers in Canada still feel that they pay too much on a monthly basis, contracts are still confusing to read, and they receive “disrespectful customer service,” plus “feel mistreated by cell phone providers who put excessive profits ahead of quality service.” In total there were 12 categories that kept arising:

1. Notification of additional fees
2. Clarity of advertised prices
3. Clarity of contract terms and conditions
4. Contract cancellation, expiration and (automatic) renewal
5. Changes to contract terms and conditions
6. Roaming
7. Onus / responsibility / fault on consumer when it should be on telecom
8. Application of the code to bundles of telecommunications services
9. Hardware warranties and related issues
10. Service disconnections
11. Loss or theft of hardware
12. Telecom’s customer service accuses customer of lying about problem

Based on their findings Open Media suggests that now is the “time for an upgrade” have outlined four recommendations for the carriers and the government to improve the cell phone market: Canadians want real choice, Canadians want reliable and respectful service, Canadians want fair contracts, and Canadians want transparency. The report also noted that Rogers, Bell and TELUS (plus sub-brands) control almost 94% of the wireless market in Canada and “It’s time for policymakers to take bold action to create a level playing field for service providers, encouraging independent service options and facilitating real choice.”

Much of the suggestions have already been tabled in the recent CRTC National Wireless Code of Conduct, or hopefully will be with the announcement that Christian Paradis, Canada’s Industry Minister, declared this morning (700Mhz spectrum auction, tower sharing and roaming agreements).

Check out the full report here

Canadian government to hold 700Mhz spectrum auction on November 19th, will reinforce domestic roaming agreements

March 11, 2013/in Tech News /by Chris Sutton

Industry Minister, Christian Paradis, held a press conference early this morning to outline the series of events that will lead up to a November 19th auction for the highly-coveted 700Mhz spectrum. Already in use in the United States, the 700Mhz band will facilitate wireless signals that more easily penetrate walls and deliver faster speeds in rural areas.

Citing renewed need for a competitive marketplace, Paradis ensured that all Canadian provinces will have at least four companies for customers to choose from. Similarly, at least four companies per region will be able to bid on the sought-after spectrum in November thanks to new rules around foreign investment.

The Canadian government will redouble efforts, he said, to “reduce cellphone proliferation,” by ensuring incumbent providers share towers with new entrants; no Canadian should be left without a cellphone signal, regardless of where they are in the country. WIND and Mobilicity, two of recent entrants to the national stage, currently roam on Rogers’ 2G EDGE network when outside so-called “domestic home zones,” differentiating between those areas, usually in larger cities like Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary, and “domestic away” zones.

This announcement, and promises of “greater wireless coverage at lower rates for consumers,” according to the Minister, come after consultations and public hearings around a proposed “Wireless Code of Conduct.” The Code, the final draft of which has yet to be completed, argues for more accessible unlocking plans by the carriers, less penalties when cancelling a three-year contract — often lambasted as the longest in the world — and discounts for users who choose to bring their own phones.

When the auction begins in late November, there are expected to be more companies fighting over less spectrum than the 2008 AWS auction that raised $4 billion for the Canadian government. Estimates put the 700Mhz spectrum between $2.9 and $3.5 billion, with incumbents Rogers, Bell and TELUS making up the majority in most large markets. Companies like Quebecor, Eastlink, SaskTel, MTS, Mobilicity and WIND Mobile, many of which emerged from the 2008 auction, have launched regional or national wireless networks, but few of them, especially the latter two, don’t have enough spectrum to launch LTE. It’s likely, especially based on WIND Mobile’s parent company Orascom’s poor quarterly earnings, that there will be an “in-market merger” with a company like Mobilicity, largely seen as a necessity in a market unwelcoming to new entrants.

Via: The Globe & Mail

Twitter for Android and iOS get improved search and Discover features

March 11, 2013/in Tech News /by Chris Sutton

Today’s the day Twitter starts forcing third-party app developers to use its far more limited API v1.1, so it’s not surprising the company has pushed out an update to its Android and iPhone versions focusing on search and discovery.

In particular, users searching for specific terms will come upon Top Tweets, often from months ago, that garnered a lot of attention. Searching for ‘Android’, for example, showed me top accounts, recent stories from accounts I follow, photos and more. The Discover tab has also been updated to show more relevant information, and the pull-to-refresh animation has been spruced up.

Users will also be able to see all the tweets in a conversation when entering a tweet’s Detail view, including replies, though it’s unclear how that is different from before.

The iOS version of Twitter has also eliminated the option of uploading videos to Mobypicture, Vodpod and Posterous, likely because its homegrown Vine solution is the preferred recipient.

Download Twitter for Android and iPhone.

Google Maps 1.1 for iOS brings saved addresses from contacts, local search

March 6, 2013/in Tech News /by Chris Sutton

Google has released its first update to Maps for iOS, bringing some features over from Android and the web.

Users can now sync up previously-searched locations based on contact information, so if you have an address saved under Mom, searching by name will point you to the place on the map.

Similarly, Google has introduced local search into Maps for iOS: you can now search for ‘coffee’, ‘restaurants’ and others and it will populate the map around your area.

Lastly, you can now specify kilometres or miles in your designated search area, rather than have Google decide for you. This is good if you want to maintain your metric proclivities while roaming south of the border.

Download Google Maps for iOS.
Via: MacRumors

Google Play Anniversary Offers Freebies, Discounts and Self-Congratulations

March 6, 2013/in Tech News /by Chris Sutton

Google Play is celebrating its first anniversary, and as with any happy occasion the company is bestowing gifts upon its guests.

While the selection will expand throughout the week, the initial crop of offers is a little…underwhelming. Some highlights include:

– Hotels.com is offering 10% off a booking
– Fancy is offering $15 off a purchase
– Kung Fu Panda is $4.99-$8.99 to purchase

There are a couple more things to download, including free books and discounted in-app purchases on a couple games.

Google is also boasting over 700,000 apps and games available for download on Google Play, and the store has broached 25 billion downloads.

Hit up the Anniversary Sale and check back throughout the week for more deals.

Facebook Messenger for Android introduces free VoIP calls to Canadians

March 4, 2013/in Tech News /by Chris Sutton

Canada continues to be Facebook’s guinea pig when it comes to testing out new features for its mobile apps. Our fair country got to test out VoIP calling over Facebook Messenger for iPhone back in January, which gradually got rolled out to the United States in the following weeks, and now we get to do it all over again with Facebook Messenger for Android.

The social networking behemoth envisions a day when consumers won’t necessarily need dedicated voice plans, opting to use higher-quality data-based calls to friends and family members over the ubiquitous presence of Facebook’s network. It’s a radical idea to which carriers have already responded; most cellular plans above $60/month include unlimited local calling, while some promotional plans include national calling as well. We tested the call quality from iPhone to iPhone and, while there was the occasional bout of lag, it impressed us with its wideband audio codec and lack of sibilance found on many VoIP solutions like Skype, Viber, Vonage, Fongo and others.

If you want to get a taste of the latest and greatest Facebook has to offer, and flaunt your Canadian IP address (it works so seldom in our favour, you might as well), download Facebook Messenger for Android.

Source: Google Play
Via: TechCrunch

Posts