Apr 15

New iPhone in June, claims SaskTel CEO (updated)

Posted in: Apple, AppleIphone, canada, iPhone, rumor, rumors, Today's Chili

Saskatchewan-based SaskTel isn’t the biggest Canadian carrier out there — it’s very regional, along the lines of Cincinnati Bell for the US, in terms of subscribers — but it’s definitely a legit company, and its CEO Robert Watson has casually divulged some potentially major news to the Leader-Post. In a discussion on its 3G network set to launch July 1st, he had this to say: “The good news is that (Apple) is coming out with a new version of the iPhone in the June time-frame and they’re going to put us on that. So we’re quite excited about that.” A new version, you say? We wouldn’t be that surprised, frankly, since new iPhones have launched every summer for the past three years, but there’s still been nary a peep yet from the folks in Cupertino. Is Watson mistaken or speaking way out of turn? The man would be in a position to conceivably have the inside scoop. Guess we’ll find out soon enough.

Update: Just to be clear, while SaskTel is currently CDMA, the 3G network it’s rolling out is an iPhone-friendly HSPA.

Update 2: Seems SaskTel is now claiming that those comments were actually not confirmation of a forthcoming iPhone. See the full clarification after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading New iPhone in June, claims SaskTel CEO (updated)

New iPhone in June, claims SaskTel CEO (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 19:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Apple Insider  |  sourceLeader-Post  | Email this | Comments

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Mar 31

Apple rumor twofer: Expose-like multitasking in iPhone OS 4.0, international iPad launch on April 24th

Posted in: Apple, apple ipad, AppleIpad, AppleIphone, canada, ipad, iPhone, Mac, os, rumor, rumors, Today's Chili

We’re not quite at the height of Apple frenzy, but looking at the bell curve, we’re only a standard deviation or two from its zenith (we imagine the fever pitch will be in tandem with Saturday’s iPad launch, if history and human nature tells us anything). Of course, that doesn’t stop the rumor mill from amping up production, and so on with the show! First on the docket, remember last month’s discovery of multitasking comments in the iPhone SDK 3.2 beta? Well, Apple Insider’s apparently got it on word from its network of sources that OS 4.0 will in fact include multitasking, with app switching purportedly done by double-tapping the home button and selecting the appropriate active app icon. If you ask us, that sounds similar in function to command / tab switching, but the people claiming to be in the know liken it more to Expose for OS X.

Taking a step back to focus on the actual hardware for a moment, iPad in Canada is hearing that local Apple store employees have been told April 24th is a “black out period,” meaning no one is allowed to take that day off. That usually coincides with major product launch, and we did hear the international iPad debut would be late April, but Apple’s yet to make its non-US plans concrete. It is the last Saturday of the month, however, and perhaps it’ll coincide with the other countries as well. As always, none of this is confirmed and shouldn’t be taken as gospel in any way, shape, or form. We can’t stop you from getting your hopes up, but don’t blame us if those dreams get shattered by a sucker punch of reality.

Apple rumor twofer: Expose-like multitasking in iPhone OS 4.0, international iPad launch on April 24th originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 18:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceApple Insider, iPad in Canada  | Email this | Comments

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Mar 17

Is Canada’s iPod tax back? And if so, will BJ Snowden get her cut?

Posted in: canada, legal, Today's Chili
We know, BJ Snowden is an American artist — but since her song “In Canada” is probably on every iPod and computer up north, we have to wonder whether a proposed amendment to the Canadian Copyright act will help her finally get what’s coming to her. The brainchild of the New Democratic Party’s Charlie Angus, the bill would extend 1997’s Private Copying Levy “to the next generation of devices that consumers are using for copying sound recordings for personal use.” Proponents of the plan says that it ensures that artists get paid for their work — essentially, the government wants you to pay upfront for the music you’re likely to steal anyways by taxing your next digital audio player purchase. Of course, much about the plan doesn’t make sense (it doesn’t address digital video, for instance, or the computers that people use to download and store their music in the first place) but we guess we’ll let the Canadian government hash that one out. This is obviously not a new idea, and it is one the courts have rejected already, but who knows? Maybe this time it will “take.” Lets hope not, eh?

Update: No surprise, but the levy is already being shouted down by Industry Minister Tony Clement calling it “totally nonsensical” and “180 degrees in the wrong direction” with regard to the government’s strategy to embrace the internet, not stifle it.

Continue reading Is Canada’s iPod tax back? And if so, will BJ Snowden get her cut?

Is Canada’s iPod tax back? And if so, will BJ Snowden get her cut? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Ars Technica  |  sourceCharlie Angus  | Email this | Comments

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Mar 17

ExoPC delayed till summer, getting specification upgrades to dull the pain

Posted in: canada, delay, exclusive, slate, tablet, tablet pc, TabletPc, Today's Chili

Now that the tablet PC revolution is upon us (for the second time in as many decades, if you’ll recall), there’s bound to be a few that really stick out, and a few that get left in the dust. ExoPC is doing its darnedest to be grouped in the former, and it’s choosing to hold off on rushing things out in hopes of delivering a superior product to the world this summer. If you’ll recall, we heard that the 8.9-inch slate would originally be out and about this month, but the company’s own Jean-Baptiste Martinoli has informed us directly why the ship date is being pushed back a few months. For starters, production has been shifted from China into Canada thanks to a freshly signed deal with CiaraTech. And if you’re wondering what you’ll get in return for waiting just a few more months to get your hands on one, we’ve excellent news. Here’s the good word straight from the outfit:

“With [CiaraTech’s] help we are improving the specs: better processor, graphics, better battery life, thinner, better screen and touch panel. We should hit FCC soon. As we have more time we are adding more features in the ExoPC UI Layer (ex. an app / media store).”

We aren’t exactly big on waiting, but we’ll let that other tablet keep us company until this one finally gets its shipping papers. Summer ain’t too far out, now is it?

ExoPC delayed till summer, getting specification upgrades to dull the pain originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 05

Motorola Milestone looks set for February 18 launch on Telus; AT&Ters, get your unlocking pants on

Posted in: Android, canada, motorola, Today's Chili

Telus hasn’t yet committed to a date for the release of its mighty Milestone, but no sweat — Best Buy’s happy to commit on their behalf, pegging February 18 as the date that Canadians will have access to their most powerful subsidized Android set yet. That’s really awesome, don’t get us wrong — but the other side of this win-win is that it’ll be the first time that a Milestone has been available with 850 / 1900MHz 3G, meaning this thing could become a boon for anyone willing to whisk a few across the border, assuming it’s not a nightmare to unlock (we doubt it will be). So yes, it’s true, if you really want to wait to get your Android-powered Motorola on through AT&T proper, you can hold out for the Backflip, but considering that the Milestone’s a more juicily-spec’d piece to start, you might just want to swing this way — assuming you’ve got a penchant for hacking and smuggling, of course.

Motorola Milestone looks set for February 18 launch on Telus; AT&Ters, get your unlocking pants on originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink MobileSyrup  |  sourceBest Buy Canada  | Email this | Comments

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Jan 30

Virgin Mobile Canada lights up HSPA+ network, iPhone 3GS, Bold 9700 in tow

Posted in: BlackBerry, canada, hspa, iPhone, iphone 3g, Iphone3g, Today's Chili
Well, it’s a bit earlier than the invitation to the big launch event suggested, but it looks like Virgin Mobile Canada is now officially part of the HSPA+ club, and it’s now also selling a couple of new phones you might be interested in. Naturally, the network will give you coverage in line with the Bell network that Virgin is piggybacking on (encompassing 93% of Canadians), and you can expect the same download speeds of up to 21.6 megabits per second and upload speeds up to 5.76 — in “ideal conditions,” of course. As expected, the carrier is now also offering a number of new phones that take advantage of the network, not the least of which include the iPhone 3G and 3GS (in all the usual varieties), and the BlackBerry Bold 9700. Hit up the link below to check out the complete lineup, and Virgin’s new smartphone plan offerings, which start at $50 per month

Virgin Mobile Canada lights up HSPA+ network, iPhone 3GS, Bold 9700 in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 10:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceVirgin Mobile Canada  | Email this | Comments

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Jan 24

Rogers rolls out fixes for 911 problems with Dream and Magic, cuts off data for non-upgraders

Posted in: breaking news, BreakingNews, canada, HTC, sense, Today's Chili, update, upgrade

So Rogers and HTC have worked with the kind of hustle you don’t normally see from carriers or manufacturers to fix a rather dangerous glitch in their branded versions of the Dream and Magic causing calls to 911 to fail with GPS enabled — and needless to say, you’re going to want to apply the upgrade on the double. Why? Well, the problem’s so dangerous that Rogers has taken the unusual step of vowing to disable internet access altogether for anyone failing to apply the “mandatory” patch by 6AM today (but don’t worry, you should get it back as soon as you’ve upgraded) which actually allows emergency calls to go through. For their troubles, affected customers will be credited one month’s worth of data — and Magic owners will be delighted to discover that their phones have magically received HTC’s Sense UI as a result of this whole ordeal. All’s well that ends well, right?

Rogers rolls out fixes for 911 problems with Dream and Magic, cuts off data for non-upgraders originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Jan 2010 06:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink MobileSyrup  |  sourceRogers (Dream), Rogers (Magic)  | Email this | Comments

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Jan 24

Bell’s Palm Pre now free — in exchange for three years of your life

Posted in: canada, palm, palm pre, PalmPre, pre, Today's Chili, webos

How long does it take for a smartphone to go from two hundred bucks on contract all the way down to a big, fat goose egg? If you’re Bell — and the phone is the Palm Pre — the answer is right around five months, apparently. Following its August release and a couple of mid-course pricing corrections, Bell’s now making Palm’s first webOS-based device available for free just as long as you’re willing to commit to three years at a minimum spend of CAD $50 (about $47) a month. The move likely comes on the announcement of the Pre Plus, perhaps as a preemptive strike against any of its competitors planning on carrying it — and if we were Sprint right now, we’d be paying very, very close attention to these guys.

Bell’s Palm Pre now free — in exchange for three years of your life originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Jan 2010 03:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink MobileSyrup  |  sourceBell Mobility  | Email this | Comments

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Jan 22

Ontario and Samsung seal $6.7 billion renewable energy deal

Posted in: canada, Environment, green, samsung, Today's Chili

Need to know how much it would cost you and your town to generate 2,500 megawatts of pure green energy? Your wind and solar farm infrastructure costs will come to 7 billion CAD (just under 6.7 billion in US currency), which includes a 437 million CAD “sweetener” to get Samsung on board. Plenty of curmudgeons have emerged from the woodwork to trash the deal as costing above market prices, but this appears to be the largest venture of its kind, so we’re not entirely sure “market prices” exist yet. For its part, Samsung will create 16,000 jobs in the area, 4,000 of them permanent, as it builds toward the stated goal of providing enough energy to fully power 4 percent of Ontario’s population.

[Thanks, Dan]

Ontario and Samsung seal $6.7 billion renewable energy deal originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 02:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceReuters  | Email this | Comments

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Jan 20

Rogers’ HTC Magic having 911 call problems on Rogers, too

Posted in: Android, canada, HTC, issue, problem, Today's Chili

Turns out it doesn’t matter if you took up Rogers on its offer to swap your Dream to a Magic after all, because the bug’s spreading: Canada’s first keyboardless Android set is confirmed to be suffering from the same dangerous malaise as its older brother. Basically, neither model can complete emergency calls to 911 with location-based services enabled, and until HTC is able to spit out a patch, the only fix is to disable GPS altogether — not exactly an awesome solution. In the meantime, a quick check of Rogers’ site confirms that both the Dream and Magic have been pulled from retail, so let’s hope this gets cleaned up on the double. And try not to have an emergency, of course. Ever… but especially right now.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Rogers’ HTC Magic having 911 call problems on Rogers, too originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceMobileSyrup  | Email this | Comments

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