Hasta La Gadget!

One does what one must to keep oneself up with the times. Queenie from the British block is still doing her whirlwind tour of Canada, and this latest snapshot shows her on a visit to RIM’s production facilities.

Josh: “Which one of these buttons summons Sir Lancelot?”
Vlad: “I was told there’d be crack and berries here, what’s this stuff?”
Thomas: “Is that where the little man talks in my ear?”
Chris: “Your Majesty’s SAS are receiving these fitted with a taser, oil slick, poison gas, and an impossible-to-use interface that will discourage theft by foreign agents.”
Darren: “Don’t you dare send me home with a CDMA version!”
Richard Lai: “I don’t care what Phillip says — I’m totally getting this Colorwared. Do you take cash?”
Tim: “Hold on, dearie, I haven’t typed enough o’s into ‘Helllloooooooooooo!'”
Joanna: “I fancy this browser, it’s as slow as me.”
Joe: “Now I can finally see Fergie’s drunken Tweets.”
Drita: “Careful now, you’re holding it the wrong way!”
Jacob: “Add me on BBM!!!”
Nilay: “I specifically asked for a railroad.”
Myriam: “Would you like to touch my monkey?”

[Thanks, Eddie H.]

Caption Contest: the Queen’s RIM visit originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mmm… nothing like the smell of a warm caramel macchiato in the morning being masked by the smell of fresh greenbacks being burned, right? All jesting aside, we’re pretty stoked about the world’s most recognized coffee joint turning off the paywall surrounding its in-house WiFi hotspots, and in case you missed the original announcement, we’re here to remind you that the free-for-all begins today. As of this very moment, the next US / Canadian corporately-ran Starbucks that you enter should be offering free one two-click WiFi, meaning that no password is required and no time limits will be set. Of course, this also means that you’ll never see an open chair in any Starbucks ever again, but hey — that’s why sidewalks were created, right?

Update: Ha, as our good friend Dave Zatz points out, it’s actually two-clicks, not one: 1) agree to terms and services, 2) connect. But let’s not let the facts ruin a snappy press release.

Continue reading Starbucks begins offering free two-click WiFi access in US and Canada

Starbucks begins offering free two-click WiFi access in US and Canada originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 07:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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My, talk about a breath of fresh air. Canadian wireless subscribers have long since dealt with inhumane three-year contracts on mainstays like Rogers and Bell, signing over their cellular soul on a whim in order to get a marginally subsidized phone and a guaranteed bill for 36 months. We’ve heard for awhile now that Mobilicity was jonesing to change things up in the Great White North, and change it has. Shortly after receiving an all-important green light from the CRTC, the company has gone live with mobile service in Toronto, with a number of other large Canadian cities to follow in the months ahead. What’s most unique about the service, however, is that every single plan it sells is unlimited in nature, and there’s nary a contract to be found — you simply pick the phone you want, the plan you want, and then you pay upfront. It’s most akin to the various prepaid options here in the States (Virgin Mobile, Boost Mobile, etc.), but still — it’s a lovely alternative to have if you’re a Canuck. Unlimited calling and texting can be had for just $35 per month, while $65 per month nets you unlimited everything (including global texting, US long distance calling and data usage). The phone selection ain’t half bad either, with the only major “gotcha” being that extra roaming fees can apply if you use your mobile outside of metro Toronto (or in the future, away from the carrier’s specific coverage cities). Hit up the source link to get the facts straight from the horse’s moose’s mouth.

[Thanks, Endi]

Mobilicity launches service in Toronto: all plans unlimited, no contracts to speak of originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 May 2010 04:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Right on cue, the artist formerly known as DAVE Wireless has been given approval to begin operations in Canada. Just as we heard earlier in the year, Mobilicity is looking to add some much-needed competition in the mobile operator space up north, and as predicted, the CRTC has given the initial stamp of approval needed for it to move forward with business operations. The company has to make a few minor changes up the ladder in order to appease the Canadian overlords that regulate this stuff, but the outfit’s top brass have stated that they have “no issues” whatsoever in complying. If all goes well, the carrier plans to start up service in Toronto before the summer swings in, with Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa to get covered later in the year. Here’s hoping those blasted three-year contracts vanish for good, eh?

[Thanks, Adam]

Mobilicity gets the green light from CRTC, looks to launch in Toronto soon originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 09 May 2010 03:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who says down necessarily means out? Despite our qualms with the JooJoo tablet, it looks as if the startup is pushing forward with plans to expand availability beyond US borders, as the Fusion Garage order page now clearly states that orders are being accepted from those with addresses in Europe and the Great White North. There’s no exact ship date listed for either of those nations (we’re guessing it’ll depart within 24 to 48 business hours), but pricing is pegged at $499 CAD with free shipping for our northerly neighbors, while those in Europe are being asked to pay €359 ($473) plus €13 ($17) in shipping fees. As to those user experience shortcomings, Chandra Rathakrishnan promises us a “robust software update” in short order that will apparently eliminate many of the widely reported problems with the device. You’ll be justified in retaining your reservations, but some hope is better than none, we suppose.

JooJoo now available in Europe and Canada, new firmware promised ‘shortly’ originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 05:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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